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CRANBERRY    CULTURE 


BT 


JOSEPH    J.    WHITE, 

i » 

A  PRACTICAL  GROWER. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW    YOKE: 
ORANGE   JUDD   AND   COMPANY, 

245     BROADWAY. 


W5 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 
ORANGE   JUDD    &   CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


In  view  of  the  rapidly  increasing  demand  for  a  reliable 
guide,  or  text-book  for  the  cranberry  culturist,  we  have 
attempted,  with  the  liberal  aid  of  some  of  our  most  suc- 
cessful growers,  to  prepare  such  a  work. 

Our  aim  has  been  to  embody,  in  a  plain  and  concise 
manner,  all  the  useful  and  practical  facts  which  study  and 
experience  have  yielded  to  the  inquiring  cranberry  grower 
of  the  present  time.  The  business  has  increased  enor- 
mously within  the  last  ten  years,  and  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience have  kept  pace  with  that  increase.  The  insuf- 
ficiency of  the  works  upon  this  subject,  which  we  have 
hitherto  taken  as  books  of  reference,  is  very  apparent. 

We  have  endeavored  to  make  this  work  as  comprehen- 
sive as  possible,  and  we  trust  it  will  prove  an  efficient 
guide  to  all  who  may  have  cause  to  consult  its  pages. 

J.  J.  W. 

JTTLIUSTOWN,  BURLINGTON  Co.,  N.  J., 

March,  1870. 
3 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 
NATURAL  HISTORY 7 

CHAPTER    II. 
.HISTORY  OP  CULTIVATION 19 

CHAPTER    IH. 
CHOICE  OF  LOCATIONS 25 

CHAPTER    IV. 
PREPARING  THE  GROUND 85 

CHAPTER    V. 
PLANTING  THE  VINES 50 

CHAPTER    VI. 
MANAGEMENT  OF  MEADOWS 57 

CHAPTER    VH. 
FLOODING .' 64 

CHAPTER    VHI. 
ENEMIES  AND  DIFFICULTIES  OVERCOME 71 

CHAPTER    IX. 
PICKING 85 

CHAPTER    X. 
KEEPING 91 

CHAPTER    XI. 
PROFIT  AND  Loss 96 

CHAPTER    XII. 
LETTERS  PROM  PRACTICAL  GROWERS 100 

APPENDIX. 
INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  CRANBERRY 118 

5 


INDEX    TO    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Bell  Cranberry Page  9 

Bugle       " 11 

Cherry      "        13 

Section  of  Heath  Pond 30 

Feather-leaf—  Cassandra  calyculata 31 

Section  of  Swamp 32 

Section  of  Savanna 33 

Section  of  Mill -Pond 34 

Bill-hook...  Sfi 


Cutting  and  Paring  Turf. , 

Main  and  Side  Drains 33 

Sanding  a  Meadow 39 

Trenching  for  Sand 42 

Sphagnum  Moss  and  Cranberries 43 

Turf  Cutter 44 

Section  of  a  Turf  Fence 46 

Plants  on  Clean  and  Rooty  Surfaces...      : 48 

Planting  in  Strips 48 

Planting  in  Hills 52 

Planting  in  Drills.. 53 

Proper  Position  of  Vines 53 

Incorrectly  Planted 54 

Correctly  Planted 54 

Planting  by  Pressure 55 

Double-seeded  Millet 59 

Levelling 66 

Dam  Supported  by  Turf 67 

Flood-gate .69 

Embankment  Supported  by  a  Turf  Fence 70 

Work  of  the  Fruit-worm 72 

The  Vine- worm  and  its  Work 74 

Portable  Fan 86 

Peck  Box 86 

Cranberry  Fan .93 

6 


CRANBERRY  CULTURE. 


CHAPTER    I. 
NATURAL   HISTORY. 

The  Cranberry  is  supposed  to  have  been  so  named 
from  the  appearance  of  its  bud.  Just  before  expanding 
into  the  perfect  flower,  the  stem,  calyx  and  petals  resem- 
ble the  neck,  head  and  bill  of  a  crane — hence  the  name, 
"  craneberry,"  or  "  cranberry."  According  to  botanical 
classification,  the  Cranberry  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order 
Ericacea3,  or  Heath  Family,  and  to  the  genus  Yaccinium. 
Bilberries  and  whortleberries  also  belong  to  the  same 
genus.  There  are  two  species  of  Cranberry  growing 
within  our  territory — the  Small  Cranberry,  Vaccinium 
Oxy coccus,  and  the  Large,  or  American  Cranberry,  Vac- 
cinium  macrocarpon. 

The  runners  of  the  V.  Oxycoccus  are  very  slender, 
being  from  four  to  nine  inches  long.  The  leaves  are  from 
two  to  three  lines  in  length,  ovate,  with  strongly  revolute 
margins.  The  Small  Cranberry  is  found  in  the  peat  bogs 
of  New  England  and  Pennsylvania,  and  westward  to 
Wisconsin,  and  northward. 
7 


8  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

C.  L.  Flint  speaks  of  having  observed  it  in  the  swamps 
of  Provincetown,  Massachusetts,  where  it  is  called-  the 
"  Spice  Cranberry ;"  it  is  also  found  in  South  America, 
and  on  the  vast  steppes  of  Russia,  also  occasionally  in  the 
wastes  of  Siberia. 

The  V.  Oxycoccus  flowers  in  June.  The  berries  are 
from  two  to  three  lines  in  diameter,  and  often  speckled 
with  white  when  young ;  owing  to  its  small  size  and  acrid 
flavor,  this  species  is  seldom  gathered  for  the  market.  It 
is  said  that  in  Sweden,  the  acid  juice  of  this  berry  was 
formerly  used  to  boil  silver  plate  in,  that  it  might  eat  off 
the  minute  particles  of  copper  alloy. 

The  V.  macrocarpon  puts  forth  stems  or  runners  vary- 
ing from  one  foot  to  six  feet  or  more  in  length.  The 
tendency  of  these  runners  is  to  trail  upon  the  ground,  and 
send  down  numerous  little  roots  to  draw  up  moisture  and 
nourishment  for  the  flowering  branches  which  ascend 
from  the  runners,  at  frequent  intervals,  to  the  height  of 
from  three  to  twelve  inches.  The  leaves  are  oblong,  from 
four  to  six  lines  in  length,  and  are  covered  with  a  whitish 
bloom  underneath. 

The  V.  macrocarpon  also  flowers  in  June,  producing 
berries  varying  from  one-fourth  to  one  inch  in  diameter; 
these  are  of  a  light  green  color  while  growing,  but  when 
fully  ripe,  of  a  bright  crimson,  or  carmine  color.  It  is  a 
native  of  North  America,  and  is  found  growing  naturally 
in  the  peat  bogs  of  Virginia,  and  westward  to  Minnesota, 
also  northward,  and  abundantly  in  the  British  Posses- 
sions. In  Minnesota  it  grows  extensively,  being  gathered 
in  large  quantities  by  the  Indians. 

Its  favorite  resorts  are  swamps  and  morasses  containing 
rich  bottoms  of  decomposed  vegetable  matter,  commonly 
called  muck,  or  peat.  These  swamps  are  apt  to  be  flood- 
ed during  every  wet  term,  especially  in  winter  and  early 
spring ;  but  in  the  growing  season  they  attain  some  degree 
of  dry  ness,  without  which  the  vines  will  not  flourish. 


NATURAL   HISTORY. 


1* 


10  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

This  is  not  apparent  at  first  sight,  as  the  vines  appear  to 
be  growing  in  the  water ;  but  upon  closely  examining 
plants  growing  in  a  wet  swamp,  the  roots  will  be  found 
not  penetrating  the  muck,  as  was  at  first  supposed,  but 
entwining  themselves  among  the  sphagnum  moss  above 
it  (see  fig.  14).  The  water  settling  away  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year  leaves  the  moss  comparatively  dry,  although 
it  possesses  the  property  of  retaining  sufficient  moisture 
to  support  the  plants,  even  in  the  dryest  times. 

ANALYSIS. 

An  analysis  of  this  fruit  was  made,  some  years  ago,  by 
Professor  E.  N.  Horsford,  of  Cambridge,  with  the  follow- 
ing results  in  one  hundred  parts : 

Water 88.78 

Ash , 17 

Woody  fibre,  organic  acids,  etc. 11.05 


100.00 

Percentage  of  potash  in.  the  ash 42.67 

"          "  soda        '•         "  1.17 

The  berries  were  dried  in  a  steam  chamber  at  212°  F., 
and  from  these  the  ash  determined  by  slow  combustion 
in  a  platinum  crucible. 

The  qualitative  analysis  of  the  ash  indicated  the  pres- 
ence of  the  following  substances,  viz. :  Potassa,  soda, 
lime,  magnesia,  sesquioxide  of  iron,  sesquioxide  of  man- 
ganese, sulphuric  acid,  chlorine,  sjilicic  acid,  carbonic 
acid,  phosphoric  acid,  charcoal  and  sand. 

From  this  analysis  it  will  be  seen  that  only  seventeen 
one-hundredths,  or  less  than  two-tenths  of  one  per  cent 
of  the  Cranberry  are  found  in  the  ash,  as  inorganic  matter 
derived  from  the  soil,  all  the  rest  being  derived  from  the 
atmosphere  and  from  water. 

"  The  results  of  experience  are,  therefore,"  says  Flint, 
"  strikingly  corroborated  by  the  deductions  of  science, 


NATURAL    HISTOEY. 


11 


12  CKANBEKRY    CULTITEE. 

that  the  Cranberry  will  grow  where  nothing  else  will.  It 
explains,  too,  how  it  is  that  it  seems  to  require  little  for  its 
perfect  development  but  air  and  water." 

The  American  Cranberry  is  divided,  by  writers  upon 
this  subject,  into  three  varieties. 

1st.  The  Bell  Cranberry  (fig.  1).— This  variety  is  so 
named  because  of  its  resemblance  to  a  bell  in  shape. 

,2d.  The  Bugle  Cranberry  (fig.  2),  was  so  called  from 
its  resemblance  to  a  bugle  bead,  being  elongated,  and  ap- 
proaching in  shape  to  an  oval. 

3d.  The  Cherry  Cranberry  (fig.  3)  is  spherical  in  form, 
and  somewhat  similar  in  shape,  size,  and  color  to  the 
cherry,  from  which  it  derives  its  name. 

These  varieties  are  to  be  known  only  by  their  fruits ; 
the  difference  in  the  appearance  or  growth  of  the  vines 
being  insufficient  to  distinguish  them.  Although  the  dif- 
ferent forms,  previously  described,  are  distinct,  and  well 
marked,  one  plant  producing  one  variety  only,  yet  cran- 
berries are  found  existing  in  all  the  intermediate  shapes 
between  these ;  for  instance,  the  Bell  and  the  Cherry  cran- 
berries are  distinctly  marked,  but  many  specimens  are 
found  bearing  so  much  resemblance  to  both,  that  one 
could  not  tell  to  which  variety  they  belonged. 

There  are,  apparently,  different  varieties  of  vines  also, 
some  being  lower  and  more  trailing  than  others,  but  even 
these  low  vines  produce  fruit  of  various  qualities.  The 
largest  cranberries  we  have  yet  seen — being  about  one 
inch  in  diameter — belonged  to  the  Bell  variety,  and  were 
grown  upon  vines  of  this  character,  originally  obtained 
from  a  natural  bog  by  John  Webb. 

Other  characteristics  exist  beside  the  shape  of  the  fruit, 
characteristics  which  are  much  more  important,  to  be 
observed  by  the  grower ;  for  instance,  if  one  goes  into 
the  market  with  the  view  of  selling  a  lot  of  cranberries, 
tha  question  is  not  What  shape  are  they  ?  but  rather, 
Are  they  well  colored f  or,  Are  they  of  good  size? 


NATURAL   HISTORY. 


13 


14  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

The  color  is  perhaps  most  carefully  noted,  consumers 
suspecting  light  colored  berries  of  being  unripe.  Whole- 
sale buyers  will  make  a  difference  of  from  $1  to  $3  per 
barrel  on  that  account,  giving  the  highest  price  for  those 
which  are  of  a  deep  red  color.  Fruit  of  this  appearance 
is  certainly  the  most  attractive,  but  berries  need  not  neces- 
sarily be  unripe  because  they  are  pale  ;  in  fact,  there  is  an 
undescribed  variety  in  New  Jersey,  the  fruit  of  which  is 
cream-colored  when  fully  ripe,  and  remains  so,  even  if 
kept  until  spring.  They  are  of  good  size,  among  the  best 
of  keepers,  and  very  inviting  when  properly  prepared  for 
the  table. 

Many  berries  which  ultimately  turn  red,  partake  more 
or  less  of  the  nature  of  this  variety,  being  very  light  col- 
ored about  picking  time,  while  others,  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, are  entirely  red ;  but  even  those  which  are 
disposed  to  become  red  will  remain  light  colored  much 
longer  if  hidden  away  in  the  shade  of  densely  matted 
vines.  There  seems,  however,  to  be  a  decided  difference 
in  the  time  of  coloring,  even  of  berries  having  the  same 
shape,  and  produced  under  like  circumstances. 

This  fact  renders  the  selection  of  vines  for  planting  an 
important  matter,  since  a  small  portion  of  light  colored 
berries  will,  if  not  removed,  seriously  affect  the  sale  of 
the  whole  lot. 

Vines  producing  red  berries,  ripening  uniformly,  are 
very  desirable ;  but  there  is  no  way  of  selecting  the  best 
vines  except  by  a  knowledge  of  the  fruit  they  produce, 
and  this  should  be  had,  if  possible,  before  using  them. 

It  is  also  an  important  matter,  in  transplanting  vines, 
to  secure  those  yielding  large  sized  berries,  for  the  reason 
that  fine,  showy  fruit  is  at  a  premium  in  the  markets,  and 
will  always  command  the  highest  prices. 

The  appearance  of  one's  marketing  has  very  much  to 
do  with  the  price  obtained  for  it  in  large  cities,  most  of 
the  inhabitants  of  which  have  but  a  slight  acquaintance 


NATURAL    HISTOKY.  15 

with  the  different  varieties  of  fruits  or  vegetables.  The 
best  looking  are  selected  first ;  reasoning  by  analogy,  they 
conclude  that  the  largest  and  fairest  must  necessarily  be 
the  best,  but  in  this  they  frequently  err.  Those  varieties 
of  fruit  which  are  finest,  and  possess  the  highest  flavor, 
are  generally  of  medium  size.  We  know  of  no  especial 
difference  in  the  flavor  of  cranberries,  whether  they  be 
large  or  small.  But  the  small  varieties  are  certainly  the 
best  keepers,  and  also  the  heaviest,  they  being  almost 
solid,  while  the  largest  sorts  are  quite  hollow. 

It  has  been  asserted  by  writers  upon  this  subject  that 
there  are  two  kinds  of  cranberry  vines,  viz.,  the  produc- 
tive, and  the  barren  ;  or,  as  B.  Eastwood  terms  them,  the 
"  healthy,  arid  the  unhealthy  vine."  He  says :  "  The 
healthy  vine,  as  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  discover,  pre- 
sents an  appearance  of  greenish-brown  on  the  leaf;  the 
spears  and  runners  are  fine  and  thin,  remarkable  for  their 
wiry  nature  and  aspect.  They  seem  of  stunted  growth, 
but  form  beautiful  and  tufted  groups  of  spears  in  their 
process  of  matting.  The  unhealthy  vine  appears  alto- 
gether brighter  and  stronger,  and  hence,  from  this  pecu- 
liarity, some  are  apt  to  be  mistaken  ;  for  instance,  a  prac- 
tical grower  was  disappointed  in  finding  his  most  luxuriant 
vines,  and  those  from  which  he  had  expected  the  best 
returns,  barren.  '  The  barren  vines,'  said  he,  *  looked 
greener,  had  more  bushy  leaves  and  stronger  or  thicker 
spears  than  those  which  produced  the  most  fruit.'  I  felt 
confident,  from  their  appearance,  that  they  were  the  best 
vines  I  ever  saw  ;  but  I  lived  to  find  out  that  these  signs, 
which  I  took  to  indicate  the  productiveness  of  the  plant, 
were  only  symptoms  of  disease,  which  disease  means 
barrenness." 

Another  failure,  resulting  from  the  same  cause,  has  been 
brought  to  our  notice. 

A  farmer  near  Bristol,  Pa.,  desiring  to  cultivate  cran- 
berries, procured  vines  from  several  reliable  growers  in 


16  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

New  Jersey  and  Massachusetts,  and  planted  them  in  low, 
rich,  meadow  ground,  which  to  him  seemed  suitable  for 
them.  They  were  carefully  tended,  and  the  growth  was 
most  luxuriant,  but  there  was  no  fruit..  Supposing  a  cover- 
ing of  sand  would  check  the  growth,  he  procured  some  at 
heavy  expense,  and  spread  it  over  them;  still  they 
remained  barren,  and  after  several  years  of  unfruitfulness, 
were  offered  to  a  New  Jersey  grower  for  setting  out  a  new 
bed.  But  the  appearance  of  the  vines  condemned  them ; 
they  had  become  almost  as  thick  as  pea  vines,  and  the 
grower  would  not  accept  them,  even  gratuitously.  Per- 
haps the  only  way  of  making  this  patch  fruitful  would 
have  been  to  have  covered  the  vines,  during  several  suces- 
sive  winters,  with  as  much  clear  sand  as  they  would  grow 
through,  until  a  covering  of  six  or  eight  inches  had  been 
placed  upon  the  original  soil. 

We  have  visited  hundreds  of  acres  of  cultivated  cranber- 
ry meadows,  the  vines  for  which  were  taken  indiscrimin- 
ately from  natural  bogs,  without  reference  to  their  kind  or 
quality,  and  we  have  yet  to  see  the  first  square  rod  of 
barren  vines,  the  cause  of  which  could  not  be  traced  to 
the  soil  on  which  they  were  growing. 

Barrenness  may  result  from  two  causes,  viz.,  the  soil 
may  be  too  rich  in  vegetable  matter,  or  it  may  be  too 
poor. 

The  cranberry  plant,  like  many  others,  if  put  on  very 
strong  land,  will  run  to  vine,  and  produce  little  or  no 
fruit.  The  sweet  potato,  for  instance,  sometimes  makes  a 
great  show  upon  the  surface  without  yielding  the  abun- 
dant crop  that  its  vines  seemed  to  promise.  One  cannot 
always  judge  of  a  fire  by  the  smoke  he  sees. 

Generally  speaking,  where  we  hear  of  barren  vines,  we 
hear  of  a  luxuriant  growth.  Productive  vines,  of  good 
repute,  have,  to  our  certain  knowledge,  become  fruitless 
by  being  placed  under  circumstances  most  favorable  for 
their  growth  and  development. 


NATURAL    HISTORY.  17 

There  are  two  remedies  for  an  over-abundant  growth  of 
vine ;  viz.,  sand  and  water,  of  which  we  will  speak  more 
fully  hereafter. 

Another  cause  of  unfruitfulness  may  be  the  extreme 
poverty  of  the  soil.  Sand  is  sometimes  so  deficient  in 
vegetable  matter  as  to  produce  little  or  no  vine,  and 
when  this  is  the  case,  much  fruit  cannot  be  expected. 

As  before  stated,  the  Cranberry  grows  naturally  on 
moist  bottoms ;  and  soils  of  this  character  are  the  only 
ones  upon  which  it  can  be  cultivated  profitably,  although 
designing  nurserymen  have  asserted  to  the  contrary,  with 
the  view  of  disposing  of  their  plants.  By  way  of  illus- 
tration we  give  the  following,  taken  from  the  catalogue 
of  an  old  established  nursery : 

"  The  True  Cape  Cod  variety,  now  offered,  is  by  far 
the  best  in  cultivation,  and  succeeds  best  in  uplands. 
There  are  several  sorts  in  the  market,  known  as  the 
u  Bell,"  the  "  Cherry,"  and  many  other  fancy  names, 
which  do  not  compare  with  this,  in  real,  practical  value. 
Plants,  packed  with  great  care,  $2  per  100,  $10  per  1,000." 
To  complete  the  deception,  they  quote  a  writer  in  the 
Maine  Farmer,  who  says :  "  My  crop,  grown  on  loam,  in 
1863,  was  at  the  rate  of  453  bushels  per  acre."  Other 
statements  are  also  made  in  the  catalogue,  which  are  cal- 
culated to  mislead  the  unsuspecting  or  ignorant,  and  in- 
duce them  to  pay  enormous  prices  for  plants  which  will 
be  of  little  or  no  advantage  to  them,  if  planted  in  the 
manner  recommended ;  viz.,  "  on  upland,"  and  "  on  loam." 
The  policy  of  their  assertions  is  evident ;  small  fruits,  for 
one's  own  family,  are  generally  grown  in  the  garden,  upon 
selected  upland,  and  every  one  owning  such  a  spot  would 
naturally  desire  to  have  this  valuable  fruit  among  his 
collection. 

But  comparatively  few  possess  ground  adapted  to  cran- 
berries, hence  unprincipled  dealers  recommend  a  system 


18  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

of  culture  for  the  many,  that  they  may  sell  the  more 
vines. 

There  is  a  plant  called  the  High-bush,  or  High  Cran- 
berry (  Viburnum  Opulus),  indigenous  to  North  America, 
found  on  uplands  in  many  localities  in  the  Northern 
States.  C.  L.  Flint  says  :  "  It  is  a"  beautiful  shrub,  some- 
times ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  having  a  white  blossom, 
and  a  fruit  somewhat  smaller  than  the  common  cranberry, 
perfectly  red,  and  of  an  acid  taste,  well  adapted  for  pies, 
tarts,  etc.,  for  which  it  is  often  used.  The  fruit  differs 
from  the  common  cranberry  in  having  a  small,  oblong 
stone,  instead  of  seeds.  It  is  easily  propagated  from  the 
seeds,  layers,  or  cuttings,  and  is  often  found  as  a  garden 
shrub,  flourishing  in  every  variety  of  soil,  sands  and 
clays,  wet  and  dry.  Its  berries  grow  in  clusters,  and  are 
persistent  through  the  winter." 

"  The  plant  called,  in  Maine,  the  Mountain  Cranberry 
( Vaccinium  Vitis-Zdcea),  has  leaves  shaped  like  those  of 
our  common  Cranberry,  and  bears  an  acid  fruit,  used  for 
the  same  purposes  as  our  cranberry.  It  is  occasionally 
met  with  in  Massachusetts,  where  it  is  called  the  '  Cow 
Berry.' " 

There  is  still  another  plant  (Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi, 
Spreng.  Arbutus  of  Linn.)  found  in  abundance  on  Cape 
Cod,  and  there  called  the  Hog  Cranberry.  It  also  grows 
abundantly  in  the  Pine  region  of  New  Jersey,  where  it 
is  known  as  the  Grouse  Berry,  Upland  Cranberry,  also 
Bearberry  and  Uva-ursi,  and  in  some  parts  as  "  Universe," 
a  corruption  of  Uva-ursi. 

It  is  not  properly  a  variety  of  the  cranberry,  but  be- 
longs to  a  different  genus.  Like  that  plant,  however,  it 
is  trailing,  and  has  leaves  somewhat  similar  in  shape.  Its 
fruit  is  red,  but  smaller  than  the  cranberry,  and  of  a  dry, 
mealy  nature.  Both  fruit  and  leaves  are  used  for  me- 
dicinal purposes ;  the  latter  are  also  in  demand  among  the 
inhabitants  as  a  substitute  for  tea.  The  plant  may  be  ob- 


HISTORY    OF    CULTIVATION.  19 

tained  in  large  quantities  from  its  native  soil,  the  dry  and 
barren  sands  of  Cape  Cod,  and  the  Pines  of  South  Jersey. 


CHAPTER    II. 
HISTORY    OF    CULTIVATION. 

Fifty  years  ago,  one  embarking  extensively  in  the  culti- 
vation of  the  cranberry  would  have  been  comparable  to  a 
craft  putting  to  sea  without  chart  or  compass.  Doubts 
would  have  accompanied  his  progress,  and  the  possibility 
of  profit  resulting  from  his  labors  have  been  exceedingly 
uncertain,  for  the  reason  that  the  wrong  courses  to  be 
pursued  were  far  more  numerous  than  the  right  ones. 
Hence  it  was  that  the  early  cultivators  .ventured  out 
very  cautiously,  risking  but  little  of  their  labor  or  capital 
in  the  doubtful  enterprise. 

Many  failed,  but  failures,  although  unpleasant,  are  not 
entirely  without  good  results,  and  should  be  carefully 
chronicled,  to  the  end  that  others  may  learn  wisdom,  and 
not  fall  into  the  same  errors. 

Some  were  partially  successful,  and  their  names  have 
become  connected  with  the  business,  although  their 
achievements  have  been  far  surpassed  by  men  of  whom 
we  have  never  heard  ;  yet  they  were  comparatively  suc- 
cessful in  their  day,  and  they  deserve  our  notice  now,  for 
having  laid  the  foundation  of  successful  cultivation. 

These  pioneers  in  the  business  were  men  of  enterprise ; 
for  they  not  only  encountered  many  difficulties  in  growing 
the  fruit,  but  were  unable  to  sell  it,  when  grown,  for  re- 
munerative prices.  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  when  the 
supply  of  cranberries  was  very  limited,  and  derived  al- 
most entirely  from  natural  bogs,  the  price  per  bushel  was 


20  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

discouragingly  low.  For  instance,  about  thirty  years 
ago,  two  -well-known  merchants  of  Medford,  N.  J.,  in- 
vested in  a  lot  of  good,  natural  cranberries,  with  the  view 
of  speculation.  The  price  paid  was  62  cents  per  bushel, 
and  yet  they  lost  money  by  the  operation. 

The  success  of  a  few  cultivators  becoming  known, 
others  were  induced  to  attempt  the  business,  and  as  the 
supply  gradually  increased,  the  berries  were  exposed  for 
sale  in  new  markets,  and  people  who  had  before  been  un- 
acquainted with  them  were,  perhaps,  attracted  by  their 
fine  appearance,  and  led  to  give  them  a  trial  in  the  famous 
tart  or  sauce, — a  trial  being  sufficient  to  convince  even  the 
most  skeptical  of  their  excellence,  and  create  a  demand 
for  them  wherever  they  were  introduced. 

This  demand,  steadily  increasing,  even  faster  than  the 
supply,  caused  the  prices  to  advance,  and  as  the  business 
became  remunerative,  growers  were  multiplied  in  num- 
bers, and  stimulated  to  greater  exertions.  But,  notwith- 
standing the  enormously  increased  production,  the  demand 
has  increased  still  more  rapidly,  and  consequently  the 
price  has  kept  pace  with  it. 

Boswell,  writing  for  the  Public  Ledger,  of  Philadelphia, 
about  ten  years  ago,  upon  the  cultivation,  preservation, 
and  transportation  of  the  cranberry,  said :  "  There  is 
ten  times  the  quantity  raised  now  that  there  was  forty 
years  ago ;  but  instead  of  the  price  being  lower  than  for- 
merly, it  is  one  hundred  per  cent  higher.  Forty  years 
ago,  in  Boston,  which  has  always  been  the  great  depot 
for  this  fruit,  the  price  was  from  75  cents  to  $1.00  per 
bushel,  but  for  a  few  years  past  the  price  has  ranged  from 
$1.50  to  $2.50  per  bushel." 

It  may  safely  be  said  that,  within  the  last  ten  years, 
the  production  has  increased  at  least  tenfold,  and  the 
price  is  now  one  hundred  per  cent  higher  than  that  named 
by  Boswell.  In  fact,  a  portion  of  the  crop  of  1866  was 
sold  by  the  growers  at  $10  per  bushel. 


UISTOKY    OP    CULTIVATION.  21 

This  price,  however,  is  unusually  high,  and  was  caused 
by  a  partial  failure  in  the  crop  of  that  season ;  it  is  only 
mentioned  to  illustrate  how  highly  the  fruit  is  appreciated 
where  it  is  best  known. 

Although  growing  naturally  in  many  parts  of  North 
America,  there  are  comparatively  few  localities  where 
cranberries  have  been  cultivated;  of  these,  Cape  Cod 
and  West  Jersey  are  the  most  important.  Some  attention 
has  been  given  to  their  culture  in  Maine,  and  also  to  the 
improvement  of  natural  bogs  in  the  North- western  States. 

The  first  attempts  at  cultivating  the  cranberry  in  this 
country  were  made  on  Cape  Cod,  Massachusetts,  about 
the  year  1820,  and  considerable  experience  and  proficiency 
were  gained  by  growers  in  that  locality  before  any  atten- 
tion was  given  to  the  subject  in  New  Jersey, — the  State 
which  has  since  taken  the  lead  of  all  others  in  this  most 
valuable  production. 

S.  B.  Phinney  says  :  "  Half  a  century  has  now  elapsed 
since  Captain  Henry  Hall,  of  Dennis,  in  the  County  of 
Barnstable,  Mass.,  commenced  the  cultivation  of  the  cran- 
berry. His  bog,  or  *  cranberry  yard,'  as  he  called  it,  has 
no  year  since  failed  of  producing  a  remunerative  crop. 
For  the  next  thirty  years  after  Mr.  Hall  commenced, 
many  experiments  were  made  by  others,  and  most  of  them 
proved  to  be  failures.  The  general  cultivation  does  not 
date  back  further  than  the  year  1850,  yet  since  that  date 
there  have  been  many  failures,  find  many  bogs,  recently 
set,  will  never  yield  remunerative  crops.  By  this  term, 
and  by  £  successful  cultivation,'  I  mean  that  the  crops,  in- 
cluding the  present  value  of  the  bogs,  have  more  than 
repaid  the  original  cost,  interest,  and  incidental  expenses 
of  cultivating,  picking,  and  sending  to  market." 

It  was  not  until  about  the  year  1845  that  the  first  vines 
were  planted  in  New  Jersey ;  and  for  several  years  the 
history  of  the  Cape  Cod  pioneers  was  repeated  in  the 
numerous  failures  that  followed.  Although  the  Jersey- 


22  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


had  heard  something  of  the  success  of  their  New 
England  brethren,  they  knew  little  or  nothing  of  their 
mode  of  cultivation,  and,  until  towards  the  year  1860, 
about  nine-tenths  of  the  attempts  at  cultivation  were  un- 
profitable. 

John  Webb,  of  Ocean  County,  was  perhaps  one  of  the 
earliest  successful  experimenters  in  this  State.  He  com- 
menced by  removing  some  sods  of  vines  from  a  neighbor- 
ing swamp,  and  placing  them  in  a  damp  spot,  that  proved 
to  be  adapted  to  their  growth;  in  this  they  flourished, 
and,  in  course  of  time,  the  ground  was  covered  with 
vines  yielding  paying  crops. 

Encouraged  by  the  success  of  his  first  efforts,  he  added 
to  his  number  of  acres,  and  his  wealth  has  corresponding- 
ly increased. 

Barclay  White,  one  of  the  first  cultivators  in  Burling- 
ton County,  writing,  in  1855,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Board  of  Agriculture,  said  :  "  In  the  spring  of 
1851,  I  commenced  operations  by  plowing  up  (the  turf 
was  turned  under),  and  planting  about  three-fourths  of 
an  acre  on  a  black,  peaty  soil,  of  twelve  or  fifteen  inches 
in  depth,  with  a  white  sand  and  gravel  subsoil.  On  either 
side,  a  few  hundred  yards  distant,  on  ground  in  which  a 
horse  would  mire,  the  wild  vines  were  growing  luxuri- 
antly. I  struck  out  the  rows  four  feet  apart  each  way, 
and  planted  a  sod  of  vines,  some  four  inches  square,  at 
each  intersection.  They  were  cultivated  some  that  season. 
That  fall  we  picked  three  pecks  of  fruit,  large  and  fine  ; 
about  an  equal  quantity  had  been  destroyed  by  a  worm, 
similar  in  appearance  to  the  apple-  worm.  In  1852,  I 
planted  about  one  and  a  quarter  acres  in  a  similar  manner, 
excepting  that  the  hills  were  placed  four  feet  by  two  feet 
apart.  The  product  that  fall  was  about  six  bushels  of 
large  fruit,  picked  about  the  last  of  August,  but  they  did 
not  keep  well.  The  vines  had  become  so  matted  as  to  ad- 


HISTORY    OF    CULTIVATION.  23 

mit  of  no  cultivation,  except  hand  pulling  the  grass  and 
huckleberry  bushes  ;  (weeds  there  were  none). 

"  No  more  vines  were  planted.  From  the  two  acres,  we 
picked  (about  Sept.  7th,  1853,)  fourteen  bushels  of  sound 
fruit ;  about  seven  bushels  rotted  on  the  vines  within  two 
weeks  previous  to  picking.  Those  picked  were  spread 
out  thinly  upon  floors,  out  of  the  reach  of  frost,  and  de- 
cayed rapidly.  I  think  the  loss  from  decay  in  five  months 
from  the  time  of  picking,  would  amount  to  seventy-five 
per  cent ;  while  of  the  wild  berries,  picked  about  the  same 
time,  and  kept  in  the  same  manner,  the  loss  from  decay 
was  not  more  than  one  or  two  per  cent. 

"Upon  viewing  the  plantation  in  the  latter  part  of  August, 
1854, 1  found  the  vines  most  luxuriant,  matting  completely 
over  the  surface  of  the  ground.  There  appeared  then  to 
be  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  bushels  of  sound  fruit  upon 
them,  not  quite  ripe  enough  for  picking.  These  soon 
commenced  rotting,  and  when  they  were  picked,  about 
the  middle  of  September,  I  secured  only  about  ten  bushels 
of  sound  fruit,  which  kept  quite  as  badly  as  during  the 
previous  winter. 

"  Such  has  been  my  experience  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
cranberry ;  and  unless  I  can  find  a  remedy  for  this  rotting 
of  the  berry,  I  must  abandon  the  business  as  unprofitable. 

"If  this  can  be  avoided,  there  is  an  excellent  opportu- 
nity here  to  cultivate  them  extensively  and  profitably. 
They  begin  to  rot  about  the  commencement  of  their 
ripening  or  coloring,  on  the  side  touching  the  ground, 
presenting  the  appearance  of  having  been  scalded.  I 
have  thought  it  might  be  owing  to  the  hot  sun  shining  on 
them  after  rain,  scalding  the  part  touching  the  earth. 
Possibly,  when  the  vines  become  thicker,  shading  the 
ground  more  thoroughly,  it  may  be  corrected.  If  that  is 
the  case,  I  will  try  a  new  plantation,  setting  out  the 
plants  one  foot  apart  each  way." 

There   was  much  truth  in  his  supposed  cause  of  the 


24  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

decay,  as  well  as  in  the  remedy ;  such  were  the  difficul- 
ties which  continually  harrassed  the  first  cultivators. 
They  had  no  experience  to  guide  their  steps ;  no  certain 
rules  of  procedure ;  consequently  the  slow  progress,  and 
frequent  failures. 

It  was  not  until  near  the  year  1860  that  the  cranberry 
business  was  commenced  in  earnest  in  New  Jersey.  Since 
that  time  it  has  rapidly  developed,  until  now  the  value 
of  cultivated  cranberry  property  in  this  State,  alone,  may 
be  estimated  at  several  millions  of  dollars.  In  fact,  Pro- 
fessor Cook,  State  Geologist  for  New  Jersey,  alluding  to 
this  production  in  his  report  of  1869,  said :  "  Already 
our  fields  supply  more  than  half  of  all  raised  in  the 
United  States."  Our  crop  of  that  year  being  estimated 
at  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  bushels. 

And  yet,  with  these  enormous  results,  their  cultivation 
is  principally  confined  to  three  counties,  viz.,  Ocean,  Bur- 
lington, and  Atlantic,  and  perhaps  not  one  two-hundredth 
part  of  the  area  of  these  is  fitted  for  their  culture. 

The  three  counties,  before  named,  include  most  of  what 
is  known  as  "  The  Pines," — an  uncultivated  region,  con- 
taining about  twelve  hundred  thousand  acres. 

From  the  position  it  occupies,between  the  two  great  cities 
of  the  nation,  it  may  be  a  marvel  to  some  that  this  region 
should  have  remained  so  long  uncultivated;  but  it  is  ex- 
plained in  few  words.  The  soil  is  light  and  sandy,  not  suit- 
ed to  growing  grass  or  the  cereals,  but  yielding  good  crops 
when  planted  in  small  fruits.  These,  with  the  exception  of 
cranberries,  require  easy  and  rapid  facilities  for  marketing ; 
such  as  are  only  obtained  in  the  interior  by  the  use  of  rail- 
roads, and  those,  until  recently  have  been  withheld. 
Hence,  the  swamps  were  left  to  make  cedar,  and  the 
uplands  to  produce  pine  timber.  But  now,  railroad 
facilities  are  being  afforded,  and  large  portions  of  "  The 
Pines  "  are  destined  to  become  as  a  fruitful  garden  under 
the  skillful  management  of  the  fruit  grower. 


CHOICE    OF    LOCATIONS.  25 

CHAPTER  III. 

CHOICE     OF    LOCATIONS. 

Every  possessor  of  waste  swamp  land  is  interested  to 
know  whether,  by  planting  it  in  cranberries,  he  may  not 
"  make  it  to  blossom  as  the  rose,"  and,  at  the  same  time, 
increase  his  revenue. 

To  every  one  about  to  engage  in  the  cranberry  business, 
the  proper  location  for  a  meadow,  as  regards  its  soil  and 
surroundings,  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance ;  for 
the  reason,  that,  if  a  suitable  soil  is  not  selected  at  the 
start,  the  greatest  care  in  preparing  the  ground,  in  setting 
out  the  vines,  and  in  nursing  them  afterward,  will  fail  to 
make  the  undertaking  a  success.  Whereas,  should  a  bog 
be  chosen  that  is  really  adapted  to  their  groioth,  some 
carelessness  in  regard  to  preparing  and  planting  may  fol- 
low without  causing  a  failure. 

The  Cranberry  is  peculiar  in  its  tastes  and  habits.  On 
some  soils  it  cannot  be  made  to  thrive,  while  upon  others 
it  is*  very  hardy,  and  easily  propagated.  Indeed,  we  have 
known  instances  where  vines,  just  dropped  upon  the  sur- 
face, have  taken  root  and  grown.  But  skill  and  care  are 
always  essential  in  the  management  of  a  cranberry  mead- 
ow, in  order  to  obtain  the  best  results. 

We  would  recommend  any  one  who  contemplates  in- 
vesting largely  in  this  business  to  visit,  if  convenient, 
some  locality  where  it  has  been  successfully  conducted, 
that  he  may  form  a  more  correct  idea  of  what  is  required, 
than  could  possibly  be  imparted  by  a  description. 

The  alluvial  formation  is  the  only  one  in  which  the  cran- 
berry can  be  successfully  cultivated.  Though  this  forma- 
tion includes  the  most  barren  and  the  most  fertile  soils,  the 
dryest  and  the  dampest,  yet  its  character  is  well  marked, 
and  it  can  be  easily  distinguished.  Sand,  or  quartz  rock, 
2 


26  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

pulverized  or  granulated,  is  alluvium,  separated  from  the 
drift  by  the  waves  and  currents  of  the  ocean,  and  eleva- 
ted by  the  action  of  the  waters.  The  deltas,  or  rich  in- 
terval lands  near  the  outlets  of  rivers,  are  alluvium,  and 
are  formed  by  the  subsiding  of  the  finer  particles  brought 
down  by  the  streams. 

The  mud  found  in  the  narrow  bogs  and  creeks  near  the 
sea  shore,  and  the  muck,  or  peat,  underlying  swamps  and 
fen-lands,  are  of  the  same  character. 

Salt  and  fresh  meadows,  formed  partly  by  deposits  of 
mud,  and  partly  by  decayed  vegetable  and  animal  mat- 
ter, belong  to  the  same  class.  In  fact,  all  alluvial  forma- 
tions are  caused  by  the  action  of  water. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  muck,  or  peat,  all  of 
which  have  a  fertilizing  effect  upon  the  cranberry  vine. 
Muck  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  decayed  vegetable 
matter,  but  deposits  are  found  in  different  stages  of  de- 
composition ;  those  most  thoroughly  decomposed  being 
best  adapted  to  our  purpose.  Professor  Sidney  K.  Smith, 
of  "N.  J.,  has  analyzed  a  sample  of  muck,  with  the  follow- 
ing results : 

"  The  muck  is  spread  on  a  plate,  and  placed  over  a  ves- 
sel of  boiling  water — this  affords  a  means  of  maintaining 
an  equal  temperature  at  212°  F.  In  this  position  it  will 
lose  50  per  cent  (*  |0)  its  weight  of  water.  If  you  will  weigh 
100  parts  of  the  sample  thus  dried,  and  burn  it,  and  then 
weigh,  you  will  have  from  6  to  30  parts  of  ashes ;  so  that 
from  70  to  94  per  cent  is  organic  matter,  which  took  the 
gaseous  or  aeriform  state  as  soon  as  heat  enough  was  ap- 
plied. 

"  But  this  difference  in  weight  of  ash  comes  chiefly 
from  the  larger  per  cent  of  sand,  or  silicates,  in  some  varie- 
ties than  in  others ;  aside  from  this,  since  the  amount  of 
the  salts  of  potash,  soda,  lime,  etc.,  is  small,  compared  with 
the  whole  weight  of  the  muck,  it  need  not  be  reckoned. 

"  It  is,  then,  the  volatile  or  organic  part  that  contains 


CHOICE    OP   LOCATIONS.  27 

the  elements  of  fertility  which  we  want  to  render  availa- 
ble for  plant-food.  This  part  has  been  found,  by  careful 
analysis,  to  consist  of  several  substances,  to  which ,  has 
been  given  the  general  name  of  G-eine.  Some  kinds  of 
muck  contain  as  high  as  95  per  cent  of  geine ;  and  in 
this  are  locked  up  nearly  all  the  fertilizing  substances 
(ammonia  excepted)  to  be  found  in  cow-dung.  The 
average  amount  of  soluble  geine  found  in  peat  is  estima- 
ted at  25  per  cent ;  the  more  soluble  it  is,  the  greater 
will  be  its  value." 

The  cranberry  cannot  be  successfully  cultivated  in  the 
"Drift  formation"  Hundreds  of  experiments  have  been 
tried,  and  nearly  all  have  proved  to  be  failures.  Pro- 
fessor Agassiz  describes  the  drift  formation  as  being  that 
portion  of  the  earth's  surface  which  was  formed  by  glacial 
action,  and  consisting  of  rocks  not  in  place — that  is, 
loose,  and  not  in  solid  ledges — gravel,  clay,  and  loam. 
This  definition  is  plain,  and  to  the  point,  and  will  enable 
any  one  locating  a  cranberry  meadow  to  distinguish  the 
drift,  and  reject  it.  Bogs,  naturally  well  adapted  to  the 
growth  of  this  fruit,  have  been  ruined  by  using  drift  ma- 
terial in  preparing  them. 

In  some  bogs  where  partly  drift  and  partly  alluvium 
were  used,  the  exact  line  between  the  two  could  be  traced 
by  the  difference  in  the  growth  and  appearance  of  the 
vines. 

Such  is  the  testimony  of  S.  B.  Phinney,  of  Barnstable, 
Mass.,  and  its  truth  is  corroborated  by  our  experience  in 
New  Jersey.  It  is  said  "  there  are  exceptions  to  all 
general  rules ;"  but  we  never  knew  of  but  one  exception 
to  the  rule  previously  stated,  that  "  cranberries  cannot  be 
successfully  cultivated  on  the  drift  formation,"  and  that 
was  a  small  portion  of  a  twelve-acre  meadow  near  Med- 
ford,  1ST.  J.,  where  the  vines  were  nourishing  upon  a  soil 
containing  sufficient  clay  to  make  good  moulding  sand. 
But  success  in  this  instance  was  owing  to  the  peculiar  lo« 


28  CBANBEKRJT    CULTURE. 

cation  of  the  soil,  it  being  situated  on  a  slope  which 
received  sufficient  spring-water  to  keep  the  ground  always 
loose,  or  unpacked,  and  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  quick- 
sand. If  this  patch  had  been  drained  sufficiently  to  make 
the  surface  dry,  and  allow  it  to  become  packed,  no  doubt 
the  vines  would  have  failed,  and  perhaps  perished. 

Clay  and  loam  are  to  be  avoided,  under  all  circum- 
stances, by  those  desiring  a  profitable  arid  permanent  in- 
vestment in  cranberry  meadows.  Gravel  is  spoken  of  as 
belonging  to  the  drift  formation — this,  of  course,  means 
gravel  composed,  in  part,  of  clay,  such  as  is  used  for 
road  making. 

There  is  a  kind  of  gravel,  however,  composed  of  pebbles 
and  beach  sand,  belonging  to  the  alluvial  formation, 
which  is  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  the  vine. 

There  exists  also  a  variety  of  yellow  sand,  which,  at 
first  sight,  appears  to  contain  a  portion  of  clay ;  but  if, 
upon  being  submitted  to  the  test,  it  proves  to  be  colored 
sand  only,  it  may  be  used  to  good  advantage  in  preparing 
the  meadow. 

The  test  for  sand  or  gravel  to  be  used  in  cranberry 
culture  is  this  :  Take  a  portion  of  the  Boil  and  compress 
it  tightly  in  the  hand  ;  if  it  is  suitable,  it  ^vill  fall 
apart  upon  being  released  ;  but  if  composed  in  part  of 
loam,  it  will  adhere  together  after  the  pressure  is  removed. 

This  is  a  simple  but  reliable  test,  and  one  much  used  by 
practical  growers.  We  knew  one  instance  of  failure, 
where  the  grower  had  planted  his  vines  upon  a  soil  that 
strongly  resembled  clear,  white  sand,  but  upon  examination 
it  was  found  to  contain  a  large  percentage  of  white  clay, 
which  readily  accounted  for  the  failure. 

The  cranberry  flourishes  in  pure  muck,  but  in  it  the 
growth  is  frequently  so  vigorous  as  to  render  the  vines  un- 
productive, as  well  as  soft  and  pliable,  indicating  a  defi- 
ciency of  earthy  matter  in  the  soil.  As  stated  in  a  previ- 
ous chapter,  vines  growing  naturally  in  a  swamp,  are  not 


CHOICE    OF   LOCATIONS.  29 

rooted  directly  in  the  muck  bottom,  but  rest  among  the 
mosses  above  it — a  twofold  advantage  being  thus  gained — 
for  the  plants  are  not  only  lifted  above  the  water  during 
the  growing  season,  but  they  are  thereby  prevented  from 
making  an  over  abundant  growth. 

The  soil  best  adapted  to  the  production  of  cranberries 
is  an  equal  mixture  of  coarse  sand  and  muck,  which  is  most 
certain  to  be  obtained  by  covering  well-decomposed  muck 
with  beach  sand,  the  latter  leaving  a  clean  surface  for  the 
young  plants ;  while  in  a  few  ye&rs  the  two  become  thor- 
oughly incorporated,  making,  as'  it  were,  a  soil  of  black 
sand.  Could  a  soil  of  this  composition  be  found  in  a  state 
of  nature,  rightly  situated  as  regards  moisture,  much  ex- 
pense of  sanding  might  be  saved. 

HEATH    PONDS. 

Muck  is  frequently  found  to  the  <lepth  of  five  or  six 
inches  in  heath  ponds,  or  low  basins, — places  naturally 
flooded  with  water  during  winter.  When  the  muck  in 
these  ponds  is  underlaid  with  coarse,  white  sand,  a 
cheap  and  valuable  plantation  may  be  made  by  plowing 
to  the  surface  two  inches  of  the  silicious  subsoil,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  turning  the  muck  under. 

Heath  ponds  are  frequently  underlaid  with  a  very  hard 
substratum,  known  as  the  "  hard  pan,"  which  is  almost 
impervious  to  water.  It  having  acted  an  important  part 
in  the  formation  of  the  pond,  care  should  be  taken  not  to 
break  through  it  while  preparing  for  the  vines,  lest  by  so 
doing  the  surface  of  the  ground  be  rendered  too  dry. 
One  failure  from  this  cause  has  come  under  our  immediate 
observation.  Figure  4  gives  a  section  of  a  heath  pond, 
showing  the  position  of  the  different  strata. 

In  selecting  a  location,  it  is  very  important  to  observe 
the  varieties  of  plants  or  trees  existing  upon  the  ground. 
Although  no  cranberry  vines  may  be  growing  there,  yet 


30  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

the  presence  of  other  plants,  requiring  similar  conditions 
of  soil  and  moisture,  indicate  a  soil  congenial  to  the 
growth  of  the  cranberry.  For  instance,  the  Feather- 
leaf,  also  called  Gander-bush,  and  Leather-leaf  ( Cassan- 
•dra  calyculatd)  (fig.  5),  so  abundant  in  heath  ponds,  is 
considered  a  sure  indication  of  a  proper  locality. 

The  Ground  Laurel  (Kalmia  angustifolia)  thrives 
upon  land  that  will  produce  cranberries  —  sometimes 
profitably — but  such  should  not  be  chosen  for  a  perma- 
nent meadow,  it  being  generally  too  dry.  Vines,  planted 
upon  these  lands,  become  matted  in  a  few  years,  produce 
one  or  two  crops,  and  then  assume  a  woody,  or  dead  ap- 


^iilllllflf^  ^-ipiP®^'^ 

Fig.  4.— SECTION  OF  HEATH  POND. 

pearance, — and  this  is  especially  the  case  if  they  are  not 
submerged  during  winter. 

A  soil  producing  the  Upland  Huckleberry  must  always 
be  avoided,  as  it  becomes  parched  or  dried  up  in  summer. 

SWAMP  LANDS,  upon  which  the  White  Cedar,  or  Juniper, 
the  Maple,  Swamp  Huckleberry  and  Magnolia  thrive,  are 
frequently  selected.  It  is  in  these  that  the  deep  deposits 
of  muck  are  found,  and,  when  properly  prepared,  they 
make  lasting  and  valuable  meadows. 

1ST.  H.  Bishop  says :  "  Gum-swamp  bottoms  are  to  be 
avoided,  as  the  presence  of  the  gum-tree  (Nyssa  multi- 
flord)  denotes  a  cold,  springy  soil,  which  would  require  an 


CHOICE    OF   LOCATIONS.  31 


Fig.  5.— FEATHER-LEAF — CASSANDRA   CALTCULATA. 


32  CIIANBEKRY    CULTUKE. 

expensive  amount  of  drainage.  The  soil  of  gum-swamps 
seems  to  favor  the  production  of  more  grass  than  any- 
other  swamp  lands  that  we  have  prepared  for  the  vines. 

"It  is,  however,  a  good  sign  to  find  gum-trees  in  abund- 
ance, growing  at  the  heads  of  streams,  and  all  their  small 
tributaries,  as  it  promises  an  abundance  of  spring  water 
that  may  be  needed  further  down  the  valley." 

For  the  purposes  of  cranberry  culture,  it  is  always  es- 
sential that  swamps  be  surrounded  by  sand — coarse  sand, 


Fig.  6.— SECTION   OF   SWA.MP. 

if  possible,  it  being  less  liable  to  pack  than  that  which  is 
finer.  The  section,  fig.  6,  shows  a  swamp  favorably  situ- 
ated. 

SAVANNAS,  or  ground  lying  between  swamps  and 
upland,  are  ofttimes  turned  to  good  account,  but  they 
contain  a  diversity  of  soils,  which  renders  their  selection 
a  matter  of  care. 

For  instance,  we  not  unfrequently  find  in  them  heath 
ponds  containing  muck,  ridges  of  black  sand,  and  knolls 
of  white  sand.  A  Savanna  is  represented  in  section  in 
figure  7. 


CHOICE    OF    LOCATIONS.  33 

The  best  savannas  are  those  which  contain  the  most 
heath  ponds,  or  have  a  uniform  surface  of  deep,  black 
sand.  Of  the  methods  of  preparing  the  various  kinds  of 
soil,  we  will  treat  in  the  next  chapter. 

MILL-PONDS  have  been  made  available  by  simply  draw- 
ing off  the  water,  and  planting  vines  in  their  beds. 
Some,  thus  treated,  have  succeeded  admirably,  while 
others  have  failed.  Joseph  Hinchman,  of  N.  J.,  owns  a 
meadow  -of  this  character,  the  bottom  of  which  consists 
of  a  mixture  of  sand  and  muck,  the  latter  predominating. 
It  was  planted  in  cranberry  vines  about  ten  years  ago, 


Fig.  7.— SECTION  OF  SAVANNA. 

and  we  are  assured  by  the  owner  that  its  production  of 
fruit  has  increased  every  year  since  that  time.  A  portion 
of  the  surface  was  covered  with  sand,  but  that  which  was 
not  has  succeeded  quite  as  well.  In  most  cases,  however, 
it  will  be  found  necessary  to  sand  mill-pond  bottoms,  in 
order  to  obtain  the  proper  conditions  of  soil.  Hence,  in 
selecting  such  locations,  it  is  important  to  consider  well 
the  surroundings.  Sand  should  be  abundant,  and  deep ; 
and  when  this  is  the  case,  the  surface  will  look  barren,  and 
the  growth  upon  it  will  be  somewhat  scanty ;  frequently 
consisting  of  pine,  ground  oaks,  upland  huckleberry 
bushes,  etc.  High  banks  and  bold  shores  are  desirable, 
on  account  of  the  spring  water  they  afford,  which,  when 
properly  controlled,  becomes  exceedingly  valuable  espe- 
cially in  times  of  drouth.  (See  fig.  8.) 

The  cranberry  requires  moisture  always  near  the  surface 
2* 


34  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

of  the  soil,  but  it  is  necessary  that  it  circulate  freely 
through  the  ground ;  as  stagnant  water  is  fatal  to  the 
growth  of  the  plant.  Therefore,  in  choosing  a  location, 
though  everything  else  may  be  favorable,  if  you  cannot 
drain  the  ground  at  least  one  foot  below  the  surface,  re- 
ject it  at  once.  This  drainage  is  required  to  enable  the 
water  to  pass  readily  through  the  soil,  and  avoid  anything 
like  stagnation. 

On  true  "  Cranberry  ground,"  although  the  ditches  may 
be  cut  one  or  two  feet  deep,  the  soil  rarely  becomes  dry 


Fi^.  8. — SECTION  or  MILL-POND. 

more  than  half  an  inch  below  the  surface,  and  this  is  as  it 
should  be.  Water  is  essential,  but  it  must  be  under  con- 
trol. 

Small  living  streams  are  quite  valuable  for  the  purposes 
of  winter  flooding  and  summer  irrigation;  hence,  they 
should  be  duly  considered  in  selecting  the  location. 

UPLANDS  are  always  to  be  avoided,  whether  of  alluvial 
or  drift  formation,  the  objections  to  them  being  numerous; 
for  instance,  the  vines  upon  dry  lands  are  short  lived, 
blossoms  are  blasted,  and  the  fruit  is  dwarfed  or  badly 
worm  eaten,  the  ravages  of  the  fruit  worm  being  greatest 
upon  dry  soils ;  of  the  fruit  worm  we  will  speak  more 
fully  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  "  Enemies  and  Difficulties." 


PREPARING   THE   GROUND  35 

Portions  of  some  cranberry  meadows  are  impregnated 
with  oxide  of  iron,  and  where  this  occurs,  the  soil  has  a 
tendency  to  form  long,  perpendicular  crystals  of  ice  in 
winter,  which  lift  the  roots  of  the  vines  entirely  out  of 
the  ground. 

These  places  are  objectionable  ;  for,  although  the  heav- 
ing may  be  prevented  by  continued  flooding  in  cold 
weather,  it  is  quite  common  to  have  the  water  accidentally 
drained  off,  thus  requiring  young  vines  to  be  replanted, 
and  seriously  injuring  those  more  matured. 

Pure  muck,  also,  has  the  same  objection ;  it  will  heave 
the  young  vines  out  during  the  process  of  freezing  and 
thawing,  unless  covered  with  water  or  sand.  Hence  an- 
other advantage  of  sanding  such  bottoms;  even  one  or 
two  inches  being  sufficient  to  keep  the  plants  rooted. 

Coarse  or  flakey  mucks  are  not  good  to  retain  moisture, 
neither  do  they  absorb  it  from  below  in  dry  times;  conse- 
quently, without  irrigation,  soils  of  this  character  suffer 
more  from  drouth  than  sand  itself.  They  also  have  a  ten- 
dency to  crack  open  in  summer  (unless  covered  with  sand), 
much  to  the  injury  of  plants  growing  upon  them. 


CHAPTER 

PREPARING    THE    GROUND. 

Having  selected  a  location,  combining  water,  sand,  and 
muck,  in  proper  proportions,  the  next  step  is  to  prepare 
the  ground  for  planting  vines.  And  as  the  modus  ope- 
randi  is  varied  for  the  several  locations,  swamps,  savan- 
nas, and  mill-ponds,  we  will  describe  the  manner  of  pre- 
paring each  separately. 


36  CRANBERRY  CUKRIRE. 

SWAMPS. 

Should  a  swamp  be  the  chosen  spot,  the  first  step  will 
be  to  cut  a  main  ditch,  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  muck  underlying  the  turf  and  roots,  and 
of  sufficient  width  to  prevent  the  surface  becoming  flood- 
ed after  heavy  rains.  This  drainage  will  enable  the  re- 
mainder of  the  work  to  be  done  more  expeditiously,  and, 
consequently,  more  cheaply.  Next,  remove  the  bushes  or 
brush  from  the  ground,  to  make  room  for  the  turfing-hoe. 
This  may  be  done  to  best  advantage  in  summer,  while 
they  are  in  full  leaf,  at  which  time  the  bushes  should  be 
cut  down  with  a  brier-scythe,  axe,  or  bill-hook,  and  left 


Fig.  9. — BILL-HOOK. 

until  the  leaves  are  entirely  dry.  Figure  9  shows  a  bill- 
hook designed  by  James  A.  Fenwick,  and  is  superior  to 
the  one  in  general  use,  the  thick,  heavy  end  rendering 
the  cutting  edge  more  effective. 

While  the  leaves  are  thus  drying,  the  edges  of  the 
swamp  should  be  turfed  one  or  two  rods  in  width  to  pre- 
vent the  escape  of  fire,  after  which,  with  sufficient  force 
for  any  emergency,  the  torch  may  be  applied  to  the  lee- 
ward, and  the  devouring  element  will  not  only  consume 
the  brush,  but  also  a  large  portion  of  the  dry  turf  in  the 
bottom,  thus  causing  the  remainder  to  be  more  easily 
handled,  and  making  the  swamp  present  a  much  less  for- 
midable appearance  than  before. 

After  disposing  of  the  bushes,  the  ground  is  to  be 
"  turfed,"  or  "  scalped,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  that  is, 
the  turf  and  surface  roots  must  be  separated  from  the  soil 
beneath,  and  turned  over  in  pieces  twelve  or  fourteen 
inches  square,  or  of  convenient  size  for  taking  off.  A 


PREPARING    THE    GROUND. 


37 


turfing-hoe  is  used  for  this  purpose,  made  of  plate-steel, 
about  six  inches  wide,  and  ten  inches  long.  Before  using 
the  hoe,  however,  the  dexterous  workman  cuts  his  turf  in 
strips,  twelve  inches  wide,  with  a  cleaver  or  .ax.  (See 
fig.  10.)  The  average  cost  of  turfing  is  now  twenty-five 
cents  per  square  rod,  or  $40  per  acre.  The  next  step, 
after  loosening  the  turf,  is  to  remove  it ;  and  to  accomplish 
this,  the  "  floats "  may  be  conveyed  to  the  shore,  either 
on  barrows  or  railroad  cars,  and  used  in  constructing  the 


Fig.  10. — CUTTING  AND  PARING  TURF. 

surrounding  fence.  Twenty-five  cents  per  square  rod  is 
the  price  usually  paid  for  "hauling  off"  the  turf  and 
building  the  fence,  or  wall. 

After  freeing  the  ground  from  turf,  the  stumps  should 
cut  off  even  with  the  surface,  upon  those  portions  of 
the  meadow  which  are  to  be  sanded,  and  removed  en- 
tirely from  those  parts  where  the  sand  may  be  plowed  up 
from  beneath. 

Some  of  our  successful  growers  consider  it  a  waste  of 
time  and  money  to  take  up  stumps,  saying  "  the  vines 


38 


CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


will  run  over  them  in  course  of  time,"  which  is  very  true, 
but  the  vines  will  not  root  in  them  unless  their  tops  are 
very  much  decayed ;  and  whatever  prevents  the  runners 
from  rooting,  is  an  injury  to  the  meadow,  whether  it 
be  moss,  surface  roots,  or  stumps.  But  were  there  no 
other  advantage  to  be  gained,  the  satisfaction  of  having 
one's  ground  free  from  such  eye-sores  is  worth  the  price 
of  removing  them,  especially  after  the  meadow  becomes 
worth  $1,000  per  acre,  as  many  in  this  State  now  are. 
Should  there  be  any  live  roots  remaining  near  the  surface 
— for  instance,  huckleberry  or  brier  roots — they  may  be 
loosened  with  a  grubbing-hoe,  or  large  iron-toothed  rake, 
and  removed  on  wheel-barrows. 

Having  disposed  of  the  stumps  and  roots,  we  have  now 
a  clear  surface  of  muck,  with  perhaps  only  one  or  two  main 


.  11.—  MAIN   AND    SIDE    DRAINS. 


ditches  cut  through  it;  but  these  would  be  very  insuf- 
ficient for  thoroughly  draining  a  large  or  wet  swamp  ;  and 
in  consideration  of  which  side  drains  (fig.  11)  must  be  dug 
of  sufficient  number  and  capacity  to  drain  all  parts  of 
the  meadow  at  least  one  foot,  or,  better,  eighteen  inches 
below  the  surface. 

In  many  swamp  bottoms  it  will  be  found  necessary  to 
cut  these  branch  drains  two  rods  apart  throughout  the 
entire  length  of  the  meadow;  their  number,  however, 
must  depend  upon  the  dampness  of  the  ground,  quantity 
of  water  to  be  carried  off,  etc.  It  will  also  be  found  neces- 
sary, at  times,  to  dig  good  deep  ditches  along  the  edges,  to 
regulate  the  spring  water.  The  earth  removed  from  the 
ditches,  which  will,  of  course,  be  composed  of  muck,  must 


PBEPAKING    THE    GROUND. 


39 


be  spread  over  the  surface  of  the  meadow,  or  removed  to 
the  upland,  and  then  we  are  ready  for  the  sand.  This  is 
generally  taken  from  the  edges  of  the  swamp  upon  barrows 
and  plank  walks,  where  the  swamp  is  narrow,  and  upon 
cars  where  the  surface  to  be  covered  is  extensive.  The  car 
track  (fig.  12)  is  movable,  and  is  made  in  sections,  each  of 
which  consists  of  two  4  x  4-inch  pieces,  fourteen  feet  long, 
securely  fastened  together,  and  bound  with  strips  of  iron 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  to  serve  as  "  rails."  In 


.  13.—  SANDING  A  MEADOW. 


most  cases,  it  will  be  found  advantageous  to  place  wide 
boards  under  the  ends  of  the  sections  where  they  come  in 
contact,  to  prevent  them  from  settling  in  the  muck.  The 
track  is  laid  from  the  shore  to  any  given  point  in  the  mead- 
ow, and  one,  or  perhaps  two,  light  dump  cars  placed 
thereon.  If  two,  they  are  loaded  simultaneously  at  the 
shore  with  clean  sand,  free  from  all  roots  or  loam,  and 
pushed  out  by  the  men  to  the  required  spot,  where  the 
sand  is  dumped  on  either  side  of  the  track,  and  spread 
evenly  over  the  muck.  This  operation  is  repeated  until 


40  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

the  surface  is  covered  on  both  sides  of  the  track,  when 
the  railroad  is  moved  to  another  place,  and  sand  leveled 
over  the  place  where  it  rested. 

It  requires  some  judgment  to  determine  the  proper 
depth  for  the  sand,  which  will  vary  according  to  the 
quantity  of  muck,  and  character  of  the  bottom — most 
sand  being  required  on  those  meadows  containing  the. 
deepest  muck,  for  the  reason  that  an  inch  or  two  only, 
upon  a  deep,  soft  bed  of  muck,  would  settle  down,  and 
be  lost  in  the  black  mass  beneath.  Therefore,  where  the 
muck  is  six  or  eight  feet  deep,  let  sand  be  put  on  to  the 
depth  of  five  or  six  inches ;  but  where  it  is  only  a  foot 
or  two  thick,  two  or  three  inches  of  sand  will  be  sufficient. 
The  price  for  sanding  will  vary  with  the  width  of  the 
meadow  and  the  quantity  put  on — ranging  from  $50  to 
$150  per  acre,  for  putting  it  on  from  one  to  four  inches  in 
depth. 

Another  method  of  disposing  of  the  turf  and  sanding 
meadows  was  adopted,  a  year  or  two  since,  by  John 
Pointsett,  the  energetic  manager  of  aifairs  at  "  Cranberry 
Park."  His  method  is,  in  some  respects,  superior  to  that 
just  described. 

After  turfing  the  ground,  he  had  the  floats  thrown  up 
in  windrows,  leaving  a  cleared  space  of  about  two  rods 
in  width  between  thorn.  He  then  dug  pits,  where  the 
muck  was  not  more  than  two  feet  thick,  and  threw  out 
the  clean,  white  sand  from  beneath,  after  which  the  track 
was  laid,  and  the  sand  carried  out  and  spread  over  the 
surface,  while  the  turf  was  brought  back,  on  the  return 
trips,  and  packed  in  the  pits. 

When  the  excavations  were  nearly  filled  up  with  debris, 
the  muck  which  had  previously  been  removed  to  uncover 
the  sand  was  thrown  back,  leveled,  and  covered  like  the 
remainder,  so  that  one  could  not  tell  where  the  holes  had 
been  by  any  unevenness  in  the  surface.  It  is  essential,  in 


PREPARING   THE    GROUND.  41 

this  method,  that  the  turf  be  packed  in  the  pits  as  tightly 
as  possible,  to  guard  against  settling. 

One  great  advantage  in  obtaining  sand  from,  beneath 
muck  is,  that  it  is  free  from  the  seeds  of  grasses  or  weeds. 
Indeed,  the  line  could  be  traced  between  the  sand  brought 
from  below  and  that  obtained  along  the  shore  by  the 
more  abundant  growth  of  weeds  upon  the  latter. 

Another  argument  in  favor  of  Pointsett's  plan  is,  that 
the  meadow  may  be  prepared  at  less  expense  by  its  adop- 
tion, since  neither  sand  nor  turf  is  to  be  carried  so  far. 
One  hundred  dollars  per  acre  were  paid  for  removing  the 
turf,  and  putting  on  sand  two  inches  in  thickness.  When 
the  turf  is  disposed  of  in  this  manner,  rails  or  pickets 
will  be  required  for  constructing  the  surrounding  fence. 

The  summer  months  are  most  favorable  for  preparing 
cranberry  ground ;  since  as  there  is  but  little  water  to  in- 
terfere at  that  time,  the  work  may  be  pushed  forward 
rapidly.  From  the  1st  of  December  to  the  25th  of  March 
bog  work  cannot  usually  be  performed  economically,  on 
account  of  the  frost  and  water  which  prevail  at  that  sea- 
son, impeding  the  progress  of  the  workmen. 

HEATH    PONDS. 

Heath  ponds  are  prepared  in  much  the  same  manner  as 
swamps.  The  necessary  ditches  are  first  cut,  the  ground 
is  then  turfed,  and  the  turf  removed.  If  the  sand  under- 
lying the  muck  is  within  reach  of  the  plow,  the  bottom 
will  be  comparatively  firm,  and  the  turf  may  be  "  hauled 
off"  to  good  advantage  with  a  pair  of  horses,  attached 
to  an  ordinary  farm  wagon ;  and  the  proper  soil  for  the 
berries  may  be  obtained  by  bringing  to  the  surface,  with 
a  plow,  an  inch  or  two  of  the  white  subsoil. 

When  the  muck  is  a  little  too  deep  to  enable  the  plow 
to  work  the  sand  up,  a  system  of  trenching  may  be  re- 
sorted to,  as  shown  in  fig.  13.  Let  the  turf  be  thrown  up 


42  CBANBEKEY   CULTURE. 

in  the  form  of  windrows  by  pitching  it  one  rod  each  way, 
thus  clearing  a  space  two  rods  in  width ;  then  cut  a  ditch 
near  the  row  of  turf,  and  throw  the  muck  on  the  side 
next  the  turf,  and  the  sand  on  the  cleared  surface,  where 
it  is  to  be  spread  about,  as  at  A,  fig.  13. 

After  the  sand  is  thrown  out,  the  ditch  should  be  pack- 
ed nearly  full  of  turf,  the  muck  leveled  over  it,  and  the 
whole  carefully  covered  with  sand,  as  at  B,  fig.  13. 
Enough  ditches  must  be  left  open  to  thoroughly  drain  the 
meadow. 

Perhaps  there  will  be  a  surplus  of  turf  after  filling  the 
ditches,  if  so,  remove  it  with  the  car  and  track,  or  wheel- 


Fig.  13.— TRENCHING  FOB  SAND. 

barrow  and  planks.  Wheels  should  never  come  in  contact 
with  the  surface  after  sanding,  for  the  obvious  reason  that 
they  would  press  the  sand  out  of  sight. 

When  the  muck  in  the  heath  pond  is  very  deep,  the  sand 
must  be  brought  from  the  edges,  as  described  for  swamps. 

In  clearing  cranberry  ground,  the  turf  is  always  to  be 
removed,  excepting  where  it  consists  of  grass  only,  grow- 
ing as  it  frequently  does,  upon  some  deep  muck  bed,  or  old 
swamp  bottom  whose  sturdier  growth  has  been  consumed 
by  fire  in  past  ages,  only  leaving  the  imbedded  logs  and 
stumps  to  remind  us  of  its  former  existence.  These 
locations  may  be  cheaply  prepared  by  bending  the  grass 
down,  and  covering  it  with  six  inches  of  sand.  If  this  is 
done  in  midsummer,  while  it  is  growing  freely,  the  grass 
will  be  totally  destroyed,  and  the  expense  of  "  turfing  " 
and  "  hauling  off"  be  saved.  Care  should  be  taken,  how- 
ever, before  sanding,  to  remove  all  fern  roots  and  bushes, 


PREPARING   THE    GROUND.  43 

otherwise  they  will  grow  up,  and  be  a  continual  source 
of  annoyance. 

The  cost  of  clearing  and  sanding  swamps  and  heath 
ponds  for  cranberries  varies  from  $175  to  $600  per  acre, 
depending  upon  the  size  and  roughness  of  the  bog,  depth 
of  sand,  etc. 

.  SAVANNAS. 

This  term  is  given  to  the  medium  lands,  so  to  speak,  be- 
ing midway  between  swamps  and  uplands.  Their  surfaces 
are  more  or  less  undulating,  and  the  character  of  their  soil 
quite  varied.  The  knolls  or  higher  portions,  having  been 


'.  14. — SPHAGNUM  MOSS  AND  CRANBERRIES. 


leached  by  the  rains,  are  deficient  in  vegetable  matter, 
while  in  the  basins  or  lower  parts,  the  accumulation  of 
water  and  wash  from  the  knolls  has  gradually  assisted  in 
the  formation  of  a  muck  deposit,  supporting  a  rank  growth 
of  Sphagnum  and  Feather-leaf. 

The  plant  producing  muck  most  rapidly  is  the  sphag- 
num moss  •  growing  luxuriantly  in  boggy  or  wet  places, 
it  possesses  the  property  of  increasing  at  the  top,  while  at 
the  same  time  its  lower  extremities  are  decaying  and 
blending  with  the  dark  soil  below.  The  nourishment  for 
the  plant  is  derived  principally  from  the  air  and  water. 

As  in  clearing  swamps,  savannas  must  first  be  ditched 


44  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

and  then  turfed.  For  cutting  the  turf  in  strips  to  prepare 
it  for  the  hoe,  an  ordinary  cleaver  may  be  used  ;  or,  to  ac- 
complish the  work  more  expeditiously,  use  a  tool  (fig.  15) 
made  in  the  following  manner ;  viz :  fix  a  stout,  sharp 
coulter  in  a  beam,  with  handles  and  clevis  attached  ;  and 
let  it  be  drawn  through  the  turf  by  a  horse,  the  length  of 
the  blade  being  properly  adjusted  to  cut  to  the  required 
depth. 

Some  prefer  the  coulter  to  incline  backward,  that  it  may 
slide  over  large  roots,  but  when  in  that  position,  the  ten- 
dency is  to  raise  out,  and  it  requires  considerable  pressure 
to  keep  it  to  its  work. 

In  order  to  dispose  of  the  turf  after  being  separated 
from  the  soil,  we  have  sometimes  heaped  up  and  burned 


Fig.  15. — TURF   CUTTER. 

that  grown  on  the  lower  portions  of  the  meadow ;  on  the 
higher  parts,  the  turf  generally  contains  too  much  sanrl 
to  burn  freely.  The  ground  may  be  cleared  more  cheaply 
in  this  way,  but  the  effect  of  ashes  upon  the  soil  is  to  pro- 
duce a  growth  of  Tree-moss  (Potytrichum  commune), 
which,  when  abundant,  is  a  serious  injury  to  the  vines,  in 
that  it  keeps  the  runners  lifted  above  the  ground,  and 
prevents  them  from  rooting.  Upon  spots  where  heaps  of 
turf  have  been  burned,  moss  frequently  comes  in,  even 
after  plowing ;  but  if  the  ashes  are  spread  on  the  surface, 
and  plowed  under,  no  injury  will  result  from  them. 

Ashes  have  also  a  fertilizing  effect  upon  the  cranberry 
vines ;  this  fact  induced  us  to  spread  them,  several  years 
ago,  upon  the  surface  of  a  sandy  knoll,  where  the  vines 


PREPARING    THE    GROUND.  45 

were  not  thriving,  but  the  damage  resulting  from  the 
growth  of  moss  overbalanced  any  benefit  derived  from 
the  ashes. 

The  "  Pines  "  of  New  Jersey  are  subject  to  devastating 
fires,  which  sweep  through  them  during  the  drouths  of 
summer,  doing  an  immense  amount  of  injury  to  growing 
timber,  and  frequently  jeopardizing  the  turf  fences  which 
surround  the  numerous  cranberry  meadows  in  that  region. 

When  the  fire  is  once  in  a  turf  fence,  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  extinguish  it,  the  only  remedy  being  to  cut  a 
wide  gap  in  the  fence,  to  save  that  which  is  not  on  fire, 
and  let  the  burning  portion  gradually  smoulder  away. 

A  portion  of  the  fence  surrounding  Howard  White's 
fifteen-acre  meadow,  near  New  Lisbon,  took  fire  in  August, 
1869,  and  continued  burning  for  two  months,  although  a 
number  of  heavy  storms  occurred  during  that  time. 

Fires  in  the  "  Pines  "  often  originate  from  "coalings,"  or 
are  started  by  men  desiring  a  winter's  job  at  chopping  the 
dead  timber.  As  the  smoke  looms  up,  it  is  seen  by  some 
one  in  the  country  who  recognizes  it  as  being  in  the  di- 
rection of  his  "  tract,"  and  hastens  to  the  spot,  where, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  inhabitants,  he  endeavors  to  im- 
pede its  progress  by  firing  against  it,  or  by  throwing  sand. 
When  a  native  of  the  pine  region  starts  out  to  "fight 
fire,"  he  as  naturally  takes  with  him  his  shovel  and 
matches  as  the  city  fireman  does  his  hose-carriage  or 
engine.  The  extinguishing  effect  of  sand,  when  thrown 
upon  the  flames,  is  quite  equal  to  that  of  water. 

These  fires  sometimes  burn  with  sufficient  fury  to  con- 
sume all  the  turf  on  portions  of  savannas  over  which 
they  pass ;  and  where  this  is  the  case,  the  moss  starts  up 
very  luxuriantly.  As  a  general  rule,  in  clearing  savan- 
nas, it  is  best  not  to  burn  the  turf  upon  the  ground,  but 
to  cart  it  off,  and  build  with  it  a  fence  around  the  meadow. 

A  turf  fence,  when  properly  constructed,  bears  some 
resemblance  to  a  "  dry  wall "  of  stone.  In  order  to  build 


46 


CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


one,  first  ascertain  where  it  is  to  be  put,  then  mark  the 
inner  line  of  the  fence  with  numerous  stakes,  after  which 
decide  upon  its  width,  or  thickness,  whicli  will  vary  ac- 
cording to  the  quantity  of  turf  to  be  used  up — from  four 
to  six  feet — the  average  height  being  from  five  to  eight 
feet.  Having  determined  the  width,  set  up  another  row 
of  stakes  parallel  with  the  first,  to  indicate  the  outer  line, 
and  then  build  the  wall  up  perpendicularly  between  the 
two.  Care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  top  of  the  fence 


Fig.  16.— SECTION  OF   A  TURF  FENCE. 

level,  and  to  bind  on  the  outer  tier  of  floats  by  lapping 
the  second  row  a  little  over  them;  this  will  make  the 
structure  firm  and  durable.  (See  fig.  16.) 

The  fork  that  we  have  found  most  convenient  for 
handling  turf  is  one  made  from  an  ordinary  two-tined 
hay-fork,  by  simply  cutting  off  the  tines  to  about  fight 
inches  in  length,  bending  them  to  the  proper  shape,  and 
securing  them  in  a  manure-fork  handle.  (See  fig.  16.) 
This  handle  is  very  eificient  in  placing  the  turf  on  the 
wall,  it  being  quite  an  improvement  upon  the  straight  one 
so  frequently  used. 

While  the  fences  are  being  built,  it  is  best  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  flooding  the  meadow,  as  it  may  require  a 
different  arrangement  of  walls  to  protect  the  dam.  (See 


PREPARING    THE    GROUND.  47 

chapter  on  Flooding.)  Having  disposed  of  the  turf,  the 
next  step  is  to  take  out  all  sound  stumps  and  live  roots, 
as  described  for  clearing  swamps,  after  which  the  surface 
may  need  some  leveling ;  for  instance,  a  pond,  A,  fig.  7, 
containing  muck  may  be  in  proximity  to  a  ridge,  B,  of 
sterile  sand ;  if  so,  the  knoll  must  be  cut  down,  and  the 
sand  used  for  covering  the  muck ;  this  will  make  the  gen- 
ral  surface  more  level,  and  require  less  water  to  flood  it. 
It  will  be  quite  important,  however,  to  return  some  of  the 
muck  to  the  poor  soil  on  the  ridge,  where  it  should  be 
thickly  spread  about,  and  plowed  under. 

But  if  the  deposit  of  muck  in  the  pond  is  not  deep 
enough  to  require  sanding,  in  most  cases  it  will  not  pay 
to  level  the  ground,  for  the  reason  that  the  sand,  if  spread 
too  thickly  in  the  pond,  would  injure  it,  and  the  knoll 
from  whence  the  sand  was  taken  be  left  too  poor  to  pro- 
duce fruit. 

In  all  these  operations  good  judgment  and  skill  are  re- 
quired to  bring  the  meadow  into  the  best  possible  condi- 
tion for  the  vines. 

In  some  instances,  clay  or  loam  is  found  underlying  a 
thin  stratum  of  muck.  Where  this  occurs,  the  subsoil 
should  not  be  brought  to  the  surface  ;  but  if  sand  is  not 
convenient  for  covering  it,  plant  the  vines  upon  the 
cleanly  raked  surface  of  the  muck  without  plowing. 
When  this  is  done,  the  meadow  must  be  flooded  in  winter 
to  prevent  heaving. 

We  recently  visited  a  savanna  where  the  vines  had 
been  planted  upon  an  inch  or  two  of  muck ;  they  were 
exposed  to  the  weather,  and  were  badly  thrown  out  by 
the  action  of  frost.  When  only  a  thin  covering  of  muck 
rests  upon  a  bed  of  sand,  it  is  best  either  not  to  plow  at 
all,  or  very  slightly,  turning  up  only  an  inch  of  the  sand. 

After  plowing  savannas,  it  is  necessary  to  give  the 
ground  a  thorough  harrowing,'  to  level  any  irregularities 


48 


CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


that  may  exist,  and  also  to  loosen  the  roots  and  bring 
them  to  the  surface. 

Some  growers  think  it  best  to  leave  the  roots  upon  the 
surface,  saying,  "  when  they  decay,  the  soil  will  be  in- 
creased in  fertility."  But  we  cannot  afford  to  use  such 
expensive  fertilizers  as  roots  and  sticks,  for  the  reason 
that,  if  they  are  left  in  the  soil,  some  of  them  will  grow : 


Fig.  17. — PLANTS  ON  CLEAN  AND  ROOTY  SURFACES. 

and  if  upon  the  top,  they  will  seriously  interfere  with  the 
matting  vines  by  keeping  the  runners  from  rooting.  Fig- 
ure 17  illustrates  the  difference  between  a  rooty  surface 
and  one  made  perfectly  clean. 

Savannas,  with  sand  within  reach  of  the  plow,  may 
be  very  cheaply  prepared  by  throwing  the  turf,  one  rod 
each  way,  into  windrows,  and  planting  vines  upon  the 
cleared  ground  between  them.  (See  fig.  18.) 

The  wash  from  the  decaying  turf  is  found  to  act  as  a 
good  fertilizer,  and  the  embankments  serve  as  a  protec- 


Fig.  18. — PLANTING  IN  STRIPS. 

tion  against  the  blasts  of  winter,  in  situations  not  suscep- 
tible of  being  flooded. 

MlLL-PONDS. 

Success  in  cultivating  the  cranberry  on  mill-pond  bot- 
toms depends,  perhaps,  more  upon  the  location  than  upon 


PREPARING   THE    GROUND.  49 

the  manner  of  preparing  the  ground.  But,  however  favor- 
able the  location,  if  the  bottom  is  not  completely  drained 
and  well  managed,  it  will  fail  to  produce  good  results. 
One  great  source  of  failure  is  imperfect  drainage. 

Mill-pond  bottoms  require  no  turfing;  the  standing  water 
having  destroyed  the  growth  of  bushes,  etc.,  since  none 
but  aquatic  plants  can  exist  when  entirely  submerged. 

If  the  soil  is  about  an  equal  mixture  of  sand  and  muck, 
no  extra  sand  will  be  required;  but  should  the  bottom 
consist  of  muck  alone,  it  must  be  covered,  and  to  accom- 
plish this,  several  methods  have  been  adopted ;  for  instance, 
the  swamp  may  be  flooded,  and  the  sand  taken  out  upon 
rafts  and  thrown  into  the  water,  stakes  being  used  to 
murk  where  it  is  deposited.  Or,  it  may  be  spread  evenly 
over  the  surface  of  the  ice  in  winter,  and,  when  the  ice 
thaws  the  bottom  will  be  well  sanded. 

Railroad  cars  and  tracks  are  used  to  advantage  in  cov- 
ering extensive  tracts;  but  the  cheapest  and  most  expedi- 
tious method  that  has  come  to  our  notice  was  one  adopted 
by  Joseph  Hinchman,  the  practicability  of  which  he  proved 
by  thoroughly  covering  with  sand  a  mill-pond,  containing 
eighty  acres,  in  a  few  weeks,  with  the  assistance  of  two 
or  three  men. 

Water  was  the  vehicle  used  to  carry  the  sand,  and  to 
utilize  it  the  stream  was  dammed  near  the  head  of  the 
swamp,  which  caused  the  water  to  flow  in  raceways  con- 
structed upon  each  side  of  the  meadow.  He  then  com- 
menced at  the  lower  end,  and,  by  turning  all  the  water 
into  one  channel,  succeeded  in  washing  away  high  knolls, 
or  banks,  and  depositing  the  sand  evenly  over  the  surface 
of  the  meadow.  The  secret  of  success  seemed  to  lie  iu 
keeping  the  channel  in  form — like  the  arc  of  a  circle — at 
the  place  where  the  washing  was  going  on,  and  to  do  this 
was  the  principal  work  of  his  assistants. 

The  banks  of  this  mill-pond  contained  more  or  less 
clay  in  combination  with  the  sand,  and,  had  they  been 
3 


50  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

spread  over  the  surface  in  the  usual  way,  the  probabilities 
are  that  the  undertaking  would  have  resulted  in  failure. 
But  during  the  process  of  sanding  with  the  aid  of  water, 
the  clay  was  washed  out  and  carried  down  stream,  giving 
the  water  an  ochreous  hue  for  several  miles  below,  thus 
leaving  the  sand  in  good  condition  for  the  vines. 


CHAPTER    V. 
PLANTING    THE    VINES. 

The  surface  of  the  meadow  being  thoroughly  pre- 
pared, the  question  arises,  When,  and  how,  shall  I  set 
out  the  vines  ? 

We  know  of  no  particular  time,  better  than  all  others, 
for  planting  the  vines ;  but  in  spring,  from  the  first  of 
April  to  the  first  of  June,  is  the  proper  season  in  ISTew 
Jersey.  They  may  be  put  out  even  later  than  this  in  the 
New  England  States.  It  is  considered  here  that  vines, 
set  out  after  the  first  of  June,  are  but  little  better  than 
those  planted  the  following  spring.  T'he  cranberry  vine 
is  exceedingly  hardy,  and  will  live,  in  its  proper  soil, 
under  treatment  that  would  be  fatal  to  almost  any  other 
plant.  We  have  seen  vines  live,  transplanted  even  in  June 
while  in  blossom,  and  in  July  with  berries  on  them. 

Indeed,  some  growers  being  late  in  making  their 
ground  ready,  have  put  out  many  acres  of  vines  during 
these  months ;  but,  in  most  jcases,  it  is  very  unwise  to  do 
so,  since  more  or  less  of  the  plants  will  perish  from  ex- 
posure to  the  scorching  suns  of  midsummer,  or  from 
being  put  on  ground  deficient  in  moisture,  while  those 
surviving  make  little  or  no  growth  until  the  next  year. 


PLANTING   THE    VINES.  51 

Fall  planting  is  recommended  by  some,  but  this  season 
of  the  year  is  no  better  than  early  spring.  Those,  how- 
ever, having  more  ground  prepared  than  they  can  put  out 
properly  in  the  spring,  will  do  well  to  plant  the  higher 
portions  of  the  meadow  in  autumn,  being  careful  to  avoid 
any  low  places  containing  clear  muck,  the  freezing  and 
thawing  of  which  would  heave  out  the  young  vines. 

The  best  mode  of  planting  cranberry  vines  is  a  point 
upon  which  "  doctors  disagree ;"  therefore,  to  enable  each 
one  to  select  for  himself,  we  will  describe  the  various 
methods  in  use,  and  call  attention  to  those  which,  have 
answered  us  best. 

1st.  SOD  PLANTING  consisted  in  taking,  from  their  na- 
tive marshes,  sods  containing  cranberry  vines,  moss,  turf, 
etc.,  and  depositing  them  at  regular  or  irregular  distances 
upon  the  prepared  or  unprepared  meadow,  as  the  case 
might  be.  If  the  meadow  was  prepared,  holes  were  made 
to  receive  the  sods  ;  if  not,  they  were  simply  thrown  upon 
the  surface,  among  the  grass,  etc.,  and  left  to  take  their 
chances.  This  was  o*ne  of  the  earliest  plans,  originating, 
perhaps,  from  a  desire  not  to  disturb  the  roots  of  the 
plant ;  but  there  being  many  and  serious  objections  to 
this  method,  it  has  long  since  been  discarded. 

2d.  HILL  PLANTING  was  an  improvement  upon  the  sod 
system  in  one  respect ;  viz.,  bunches  of  clean  vines  were 
used,  free  from  the  roots  of  other  plants.  The  ground 
was  marked  out  in  drills  about  two  feet  apart  each  way, 
and  a  handful  of  vines  planted  at  each  intersection;  but 
large  bunches  of  vines  have  a  tendency  to  dry  up  and 
become  woody,  thus  seriously  injuring  the  plantation. 
This  difficulty  induced  some  cultivators  to  adopt  the  ex- 
pedient of  planting  in  funnel-shaped  holes,  made  by  rota- 
ting a  sharp  stick  or  dibble ;  the  vines  are  placed  in  these 
holes,  and  scattered  around  so  that,  when  the  center  is 
filled  with  sand,  they  will  be  spread  out,  pointing  in  all 


52 


CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


directions  (see  fig.  19) ;  dead  bunches  are  thus  avoided ; 
but  this  plan  is  not  generally  adopted,  it  being  more  ex- 
pensive and  less  satisfactory  than  some  others. 

3d.  PLANTING  IN  DRILLS. — Upon  all  soils  which  require 
no  sanding,  but  are  susceptible  of  being  prepared  with 


Fig.  19.— PLANTING  IN  HILLS. 

the  plow,  the  lest  method  is  to  "  strike  out  "  the  ground 
with  a  plow  in  rows,  three  feet  apart,  and  scatter  the 
vines  thinly,  but  evenly,  along  the  furrow,  putting  only 
one  or  two  in  a  place.  They  should  be  leaned  up  against 
the  "  land  side,"  projecting  four  or  five  inches  above  the 
surface,  after  which  the  hoe  is  required  to  fill  up  the  fur- 
row, and  thoroughly  cover  the  roots.  (See  fig.  20.)  Care 
should  be  taken  to  pull  a  portion  of  sand  upon  the  vines, 
in  order  to  bend  them  down  upon  the  surface,  as  shown 
in  fig.  21. 

This  causes  them  to  sucker  up  and  grow  more  luxuri- 


PLANTING   THE    VINES. 


53 


antiy  than  when  left  standing  upright,  to  be  swayed  by 
the  winds. 

The  labor  of  planting  vines  is  generally  performed  by 
women ;  one,  taking  a  bundle  under  her  arm,  drops  the 


Fig.  20.— PLANTING  IN  DRILLS. 

vines  in  the  drills,  while  another  follows  after  her  with  a 
hoe.     The  average  price  paid  the  women  is  75  cents  each 
per  day;  the  whole  cost  of  making  the  furrows,  dropping 
and  covering  the  vines,  amounts  to  about '$8  per  acre. 
In  striking  out  cranberry  ground  with  a  plow,  it  is  im- 


PROPER   POSITION   OF  VINES. 


portant  to  have  the  land  sides  of  the  furrow  as  nearly  as 
possible  the  same  way  ;  and  this  may  be  done  by  going 
down  one  side  of  the  meadow  and  up  the  other,  or  by 


54  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

striking  it  out  in  "  lands,"  letting  the  plow  run  out  at  the 
ends.  The  object  in  doing  this  is  to  obtain  a  uniform 
distance  between  the  rows. 

If  the  furrows  were  made  in  the  same  manner  as  for 
corn  or  potatoes,  and  the  vines  dropped  on  the  land  side, 
the  work,  when  finished,  would  look  very  irregular,  pre- 


Fig.  22.—  INCORRECTLY  PLANTED. 

senting  an  appearance  somewhat  like  that  represented  in 
fig.  22.  When  correctlv  planted,  the  vines  appear  as  in 
fig.  23. 

The  quantity  of  vines  required  to  plant  an  acre  is  ten 
barrels,  the  cost  at  present  being  $3  per  barrel.  If  sent 
to  a  distance,  the  expense  of  freight  and  barrels  would 
be  additional.  Upon  soils  disposed  to  become  foul  with 
grass,  more  vines  are  necessary,  because  they  have  the 
weeds  and  grass  to  contend  with  ;  and  the  greater  their 
numbers,  the  more  complete  will  be  their  victory. 

But  if  more  than  ten  barrels  per  acre  are  needed,  they 
should  be  put  on  by  diminishing  the  distance  between 


Fig.  23.— CORRECTLY  PLANTED. 

the  rows,  and  not  by  increasing  the  number  of  vines  in  a 
place,  as  the  plants  die  if  crowded.  It  is  best,  in  most 
cases,  to  use  a  moderate  supply  of  vines  for  planting ; 
they  then  form  a  new  and  even  mat  over  the  ground. 

When  they  are  placed  in  rows,  although  the  interme- 
diate spaces  may  become  entirely  matted,  the  rows  will 
remain  visible,  and  serve  as  valuable  guides  to  the  pick- 
ers, each  one  taking  the  space  between  two  of  them. 

4th.  PLANTING  BY  PRESSURE  is,  perhaps,  the  best  mode 
of  putting  out  vines  upon  all  soils,  prepared  by  spreading 


PLANTING   THE   VINES.  55 

sand  over  muck.  This  is  accomplished  by  first  marking 
out  the  ground,  fourteen  inches  apart,  with  a  small  sled, 
having  three  runners;  the ., vines  are  then  dropped  on 
these  marks,  about  two  in  a  place,  and  fourteen  inches 
apart,  and  pressed  into  the  ground  with  a  spade-like  tool, 
placed  on  the  vines  about  one-fourth  the  distance  from 
root  to  top.  We  have  used  a  forked  stick  for  the  same 
purpose ;  but  the  blade  is  an  improvement,  it  being  more 
easily  forced  into  the  soil,  and  when  removed,  it  leaves  no 
hole  around  the  plants  to  dry  their  roots.  It  is  important 
that  the  vines  should  be  pressed  in  at  an  inclination,  thus 


>*—.-..--«««,. 


Fig.  24.— PLANTING  BY  PRESSURE. 

bringing  the  tops  near  the  ground,  and  causing  them  to 
sucker  up  better  than  when  pressed  down  perpendicularly, 
for  the  reason  previously  given  in  drill  planting.  Figure 
24  shows  this  manner  of  planting.  The  roots  of  the 
vines  should  be  brought  into  close  proximity  with  the 
muck  below,  that  they  may  be  stimulated  to  grow  more 
rapidly.  Women  may  be  allowed  to  drop  vines  in  this 
way,  but  they  should  never  be  chosen  for  pressing  them 
into  the  ground.  As  a  leaning  posture  is  required,  their 
skirts  have  a  tendency  to  drag  the  vines  out  of  place  and 
waste  them. 

COVERING  THE  VINES  WITH  SAND  was  tried,  a  few  years 
since,  by    Theodore    Budd,    an    enterprising    cranberry 


56  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

grower,  of  Burlington  Co.,  New  Jersey.  He  first  spread 
the  vines  evenly  over  the  surface  of  the  meadow,  and  then 
entirely  covered  them  with  sand — putting  it  on  about  one 
inch  thick.  The  young  shoots  came  up  through  this  cov- 
ering as  thick  as  wheat,  and  made  an  excellent  growth, 
quickly  matting  the  whole  surface.  This  method  requires 
more  vines  than  the  two  last  named,  but  by  adopting  it, 
a  crop  will  be  produced  sooner  than  by  planting  in  any 
other  way. 

The  vines  must  not  be  spread  far  ahead  of  the  men 
who  are  covering  them,  lest  they  be  injured  by  the  sun 
and  wind,  although  they  will  endure  as  much  exposure  as 
most  hardy  plants. 

SOWING  CUTTINGS  may  be  done  successfully,  a  fact 
which  goes  far  toward  establishing  a  reputation  of  hardi- 
ness for  the  cranberry  vine.  The  vines  are  passed  through 
a  straw-cutter,  and  chopped  in  pieces  about  one  inch 
long ;  they  are  then  sown  like  oats,  upon  an  evenly  pre- 
pared surface,  and  harrowed  in.  It  is  essential  that  this 
be  done  very  early  in  the  spring,  and  upon  moist  land,  so 
as  to  enable  the  cuttings  to  become -well  rooted  before 
the  heats  of  summer.  A  patch  put  out  in  this  way  may 
be  seen  on  the  grounds  of  Shinn  &  Allston,  near  Turkey- 
town,  N.  J.,  in  a  thriving  condition,  but  this  system  is  not 
recommended  for  general  culture. 

Great  care  should  be  taken,  in  selecting  the  vines,  to 
procure  those  which  yield  large  berries ;  the  shape  of  the 
fruit  is  of  little  consequence ;  the  great  desideratum 
being,  as  previously  stated,  to  obtain  berries  of  good  size 
and  color. 

As  it  is  impossible  to  judge  from  the  appearance  of  a 
cranberry  vine  what  shape  or  size  its  fruit  will  be,  it  is 
best  either  to  become  acquainted  with  the  quality  of  the 
vines  before  using  them,  or  to  purchase  them  of  reliable 
parties.  Even  with  these  precautions  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  a  large  lot  of  vines,  producing  berries  of  a 


MANAGEMENT    OF    MEADOWS.  57 

uniform  shape  or  size ;  but  a  good  class  of  vines  may  be 
supplied  in  large  quantities  from  many  well  established 
cultivated  meadows  in  New  Jersey. 

More  care  is  needed  among  cultivators  of  the  cranberry 
in  propagating  valuable  varieties.  There  is  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  have  a  "  Triumph  of  America,"  or  an 
"  Early  Wilson  "  among  cranberries  as  well  as  among 
strawberries  or  blackberries.  Large  red  cranberries  are 
certainly  the  most  valued  in  the  city  markets,  and  by 
planting  this  variety  only,  upon  our  meadows,  the  profits 
might  be  increased. 

But  it  must  be  admitted  by  all,  that  successful  cranberry 
culture  depends  not  so  much  upon  the  variety  of  vines  as 
upon  the  soil  in  which  they  are  planted,  and  the  manage- 
ment afterward. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  grow  them  from  the  seed ; 
but  owing  to  the  longer  time  required  for  the  vines  to  be- 
come profitable,  and  the  increased  expense  of  keeping 
them  clean,  this  system  has  been  abandoned  for  general 
culture. 

New  seedling  varieties  may  be  obtained  by  planting 
the  seeds,  near  the  surface,  in  a  soil  composed  of  three 
parts  sand  and  one  part  muck.  This  should  be  in  a  warm 
situation,  and  kept  always  slightly  moist  while  the  plants 
are  young. 


CHAPTER     VI. 
MANAGEMENT    OF    MEADOWS. 

After  the  vines  are  properly  set  out,  the  next  considera- 
tion is  to  get  them  matted  over  the  ground  as  quickly  as 
possible,  in  order  that  they  may  yield  a  full  crop,  and  re- 
ward the  grower  for  the  labor  and  care  bestowed  upon 
them.  Indeed,  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  first  fuU 
3* 


58  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

crop  of  cranberries  to  pay  for  all  the  expense  of  purchas- 
ing, preparing,  and  setting  out  the  land. 

But,  until  the  vines  are  matted,  one  very  important  rule 
must  be  observed,  viz:  Keep  the  meadow  thoroughly 
drained,  at  least  one  foot  below  the  surface.  It  will 
generally  be  found  necessary  to  go  deeper  than  that  to  effect 
a  thorough  drainage,  without  which  the  vines  will  not 
thrive,  even  if  planted  on  ground  well  adapted  to  their 
growth.  By  allowing  the  meadow  to  remain  very  wet, 
the  vines  may  be  almost  prevented  from  growing  at  all. 

When  properly  drained,  a  good  meadow  will  become 
matted  in  three  years,  although  some  of  the  most  perma- 
nent plantations  have  required  a  longer  time  to  come  into 
full  bearing,  owing  to  the  dampness  of  the  soil. 

For  two  or  three  years  after  putting  out  the  vines,  it  is 
best  to  keep  the  ground  free  from  grass  and  weeds,  that 
the  plants  may  have  undisputed  possession.  During  the 
first  year  a  hoe  may  be  used ;  but  afterward,  the  grass 
must  be  pulled  by  hand,  or  taken  out  with  a  trowel,  to 
avoid  loosening  the  runners  which  are  rooted  in  the  soil. 
This  weeding  by  hand,  may  sound  like  a  very  formidable 
undertaking,  but  generally  it  is  not,  since  the  turf  has 
been  all  removed,  and  poor  sand  is  not  very  encouraging 
to  the  development  of  plant  life.  It  should  be  done  in 
August,  before  the  weeds  go  to  seed. 

For  two  years  past,  it  has  cost  only  $2.50  an  acre  per 
annum,  to  clean  "  our  20-acre  meadow,"  and  next  season 
the  expense  will  not  be  so  great,  as  the  vines  are  becom- 
ing well  matted  over  the  ground. . 

Some  growers  assert  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  dig  up 
rushes,  claiming  that  the  vines  will,  in  time,  root  them  out, ' 
provided  they  are  mowed  off  every  season,  to  prevent  the 
formation  of  seeds. 

Experience  has  taught  us  that  it  does  not  pay  to  remove 
the  "  Double-seeded  Millet "  from  newly  prepared  bogs. 
This  (fig.  25)  is  an  annual,  producing  seed  under  ground 


MANAGEMENT    OF   MEADOWS. 


59 


Fig.  25.— DOUBLE-SEEDED  MILLET.— (Amphicarpum  Purshii.) 


60  CRANBERRY    CULTURE, 

as  well  as  above.  It  makes  its  appearance  on  savannas 
and  heath  ponds  directly  after  the  ground  is  broken,  al- 
though, perhaps,  not  a  specimen  was  visible  before.  Dur- 
ing the  first  year  its  growth  is  vigorous,  and  somewhat 
alarming ;  the  next,  it  comes  up  from  the  seeds  again,  but 
does  not  grow  so  luxuriantly ;  and  the  third  season,  al- 
though the  seeds  germinate,  the  plants  have  a  sickly,  yel- 
low appearance,  and  most  of  them  fail  to  perfect  their 
fruit ;  after  this  they  almost  entirely  disappear. 

In  alluding  to  cranberry  meadows,  Dr.  J.  Gibbons  Hunt, 
a  well-known  naturalist  of  Philadelphia,  says :  "  A  very 
curious  grass  comes  up  in  these  bogs  after  the  turf  has 
been  removed.  It  has  tufted,  flat,  lanceolate  leaves,  cloth- 
ed with  bristly  hairs.  It  flowers  both  above  and  under  the 
ground.  Botanists  call  it  Millet-grass,  or  Amphicarpiim 
Purshii.  The  aerial  flower  is  borne  on  a  loose  branching 
panicle,  with  fruit  rarely  ripening.  Below  the  soil  subterra- 
nean peduncles  branch  off  from  the  roots,  bearing  on  their 
ends  perfect,  solitary  flowers,  which  are  followed  by  ma- 
ture fruit.  Thus  a  double  life  seems  to  be  given  to  this 
humble  grass,  and,  for  a  weary  time,  like  Patience  herself, 
it  has  been  waiting  and  flowering  beneath  the  turf,  plant- 
ing its  unseen  and  unsunned  seeds,  until  man  should  come 
and  bid  it  cover  the  sod  to  feed  his  flocks.  How  wonder- 
fully are  the  bogs  of  this  life,  too,  prepared  for  a  higher 
culture  by  the  little  seeds  of  truth  and  love  which  have 
lain  subterranean  for  so  long  a  time,  until  turfed  and 
drained  by  the  Divine  husbandman." 

The  millet  does  but  little  injury  to  the  vines,  as  it  gradu- 
ally decreases  as  they  increase  and  have  need  for  the 
ground.  Large  sums  of  money,  perhaps  thousands  of  dol- 
lars, have  been  unnecessarily  expended  in  removing  this 
grass  from  cranberry  meadows. 

Mill-pond  bottoms  sometimes  become  very  grassy  after 
the  cranberry  vines  are  planted,  yielding,  occasionally,  a 
ton  of  hay  per  acre,  and  presenting  an  appearance  rather 


MANAGEMENT    OF    MEADOWS.  61 

discouraging  to  the  novice ;  he  should  not  despair  if  the 
vines  are  on  a  situation  adapted  to  them ;  the  grass  may 
be  overcome  without  hand  pulling,  by  simply  mowing  it 
off  in  summer,  to  prevent  its  going  to  seed,  and  then 
keeping  the  water  up  late  in  the  spring — say  until  about 
the  first  of  June. 

This  late  flooding  is  quite  destructive  to  the  grass, 
without  being  injurious  to  the  young  vines,  which  start 
off  vigorously  when  the  pond  is  drained,  and  make  good 
use  of  the  advantage  they  have  gained. 

Joseph  Hinchman  succeeded  in  subduing  the  grass 
upon  his  most  valuable  meadow  by  summer  mowing  and 
late  spring  flooding. 

Thorough  drainage  is  required  to  obtain  a  growth  of 
vines ;  but  after  the  mat  is  completed,  there  are  certain 
times  when  considerable  moisture  is  necessary  to  insure  a 
good  crop  ;  for  instance,  during  a  season  like  that  of  18G9, 
when  a  drouth,  occurring  in  June,  blasted  fifty  per  cent 
of  the  blossoms  upon  most  plantations ;  on  meadows 
naturally  moist,  and  on  those  which  were  irrigated  by 
raising  the  water  in  numerous  ditches,  the  loss  was  much 
less.  Again,  there  are  other  advantages  in  having  a 
moist  surface  (not  surface  water),  while  the  fruit  is  grow- 
ing ;  viz  :  it  causes  the  late  formed  berries,  of  which  there 
are  always  more  or  less,  to  grow  up  to  the  full  size,  when, 
without  moisture,  they  would  come  to  naught ;  and  it  also 
checks  the  ravages  of  the  fruit  worm. 

But  where  irrigation  is  resorted  to,  care  must  be  taken 
to  lower  the  water  in  the  ditches  by  the  middle  of  August, 
that  the  vines  may  be  enabled  to  make  a  good  fall 
growth.  If  this  is  not  done,  the  crop  of  the  coming  year 
may  be  seriously  damaged.  The  fruit-buds  are  formed  in 
the  fall,  and  are  visible  at  the  ends  of  the  new  growth  on 
the  upright  branches. 

THE  MANAGEMENT  OR  IMPROVEMENT  OF  NATURAL 
BOGS  is  worthy  of  our  consideration.  James  A.  Fenwick, 


62  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

one  of  the  most  successful  operators  upon  natural  bogs 
in  New  Jersey,  says:  "They  must  be  drained  gradu- 
ally and  carefully  at  first,  to  enable  the  vines  to  settle  by 
degrees,  and  become  well  established  upon  a  firm  founda- 
tion." 

As  before  stated,  cranberry  vines,  in  their  normal  con- 
dition, frequently  grow  among  sphagnum  moss,  some 
distance  above  the  solid  muck ;  and  when  this  moss  is 
suddenly  made  dry  by  ditching,  the  vines  are  liable  to 
perish  before  they  become  rooted  in  the  muck.  Hence 
the  necessity  of  draining  carefully  at  first,  although,  in 
time,  the  bog  may  be  completely  drained. 

Where  sand  is  accessible,  under  a  natural  meadow,  the 
vines  may  be  greatly  improved  by  digging  trenches  two 
rods  apart,  and  spreading  the  sand  among  the  grass  and 
vines.  Even  muck,  taken  from  trenches  where  sand  could 
not  be  reached,  and  spread  over  the  surface,  has  benefited 
vines  growing  on  muck  bottoms.  J.  A.  Fen  wick  states 
that,  from  $100  spent  in  trenching  and  sanding  natural 
vines,  he  was  benefited  to  the  amount  of  $1,000. 

Natural  meadows  require  flooding  every  winter  as  well 
as  those  under  cultivation. 

FERTILIZERS. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  increase  the  growth 
of  the  cranberry  vine  by  using  fertilizers ;  but,  as  yet, 
nothing  has  been  found  so  good,  in  all  respects,  as  swamp 
muck. 

All  the  necessary  elements,  excepting  those  obtained 
from  air  and  water,  are  contained  in  sand  and  muck,  and, 
as  previously  stated,  the  proper  soil  is  a  mixture  of  the 
two.  If  muck  is  in  excess,  it  should  be  diluted  with  sand; 
and  if  sand  is  overabundant,  it  may  be  enriched  with 
muck.  Even  after  the  vines  have  been  planted  upon  poor 
soil,  a  top-dressing  of  muck  will  greatly  improve  them. 


MANAGEMENT    OP    MEADOWS.  63 

Peruvian  guano  causes  a  wonderful  growth  of  vines, 
and,  in  some  cases,  might  prove  beneficial  if  applied  with 
care,  but  little  guano  being  required. 

Ashes,  provided  they  are  spread  on  the  ground  before 
plowing,  may  be  profitably  used  where  muck  is  deficient. 

Lime,  marl,  and  stable  manure  might  improve  the 
vines,  but,  since  they  have  a  tendency  to  bring  in  weeds 
and  grass,  we  would  not  recommend  their  use. 

Mud  deposits,  formed  by  the  washing  of  rich  uplands, 
are  so  productive  of  grass,  etc.,  that  successful  cranberry 
culture  upon  them  would  be  exceedingly  uncertain,  such 
is  the  character  of  many  of  our  river  marshes  and  mead- 
ows, subject  to  tidal  influence;  and  it 4s  very  doubtful 
whether  sufficient  drainage  to  grow  cranberries  could  be 
obtained  by  diking,  ditching,  and  building  sluice  gates, 
as  is  done  in  reclaiming  grass  lands. 

Flooding  might  be  resorted  to  under  such  circumstances 
for  subduing  the  grass,  but  these  situations  are  not  con- 
sidered desirable,  and  the  chances  of  success  would  not 
warrant  one  in  spending  large  sums  of  money  upon  them 
without  first  testing  the  ground  in  a  small  way. 

Unlike  most  other  agricultural  productions,  cranberry 
vines,  growing  upon  land  adapted  to  them,  require  no 
expenditures  for  manure  or  tilling  to  keep  them  in  good 
condition.  When  once  established,  they  will  last  for 
years,  yielding  good  returns  as  regularly  as  ordinary  farm 
crops. 

These  facts,  in  connection  with  the  high  price  of  the 
fruit,  render  cranberry  culture  a  most  remunerative  busi- 
ness. 

It  requires  a  very  considerable  expenditure  of  labor 
and  money  to  start  the  business,  and  after  that,  much  pa- 
tience to  reap  the  reward  ;  but  when  once  a  good  meadow 
comes  into  bearing,  he  who  owns  it  may  congratulate 
himself  upon  possessing  something  that  is  pleasant  to 
look  after,  and  that  is  profitable  withal. 


64  GRAIN-BERRY    CULTURE. 

CHAPTER    VII. 
FLOODING. 

It  is  now  admitted  by  all,  that  winter  flooding  is  desira- 
ble, and,  in  most  cases,  essential  to  successful  cranberry 
culture,  although  some  plantations  have  been  remunera- 
tive without  it.  Flooding  is  necessary  to  insure  perma- 
nence to  the  vines,  and  protection  against  the  ravages  of 
insects. 

Savannas  are  generally  looked  upon  as  being  less  per- 
manent than  swamp  bottoms ;  but  we  know  of  no  instance 
of  vines  "  running  out,"  even  on  savannas  where  winter 
flooding  has  been  resorted  to ;  on  the  contrary,  worn  out 
meadows  have  been  renewed  by  building  dams  about 
them,  and  raising  the  water  to  cover  the  vines  during 
winter  and  early  spring. 

Flooding  not  only  prevents  injury  from  the  cold  blasts 
of  winter,  and  destroys  insects  and  their  eggs,  but  the 
water  has  also  an  important  fertilizing  effect,  which  is 
particularly  valuable  if  the  plantation  is-  deficient  in 
muck.  Streams  flowing  through  cedar  swamps,  or  rich 
muck  bottoms,  become  freighted  with  minute  particles  of 
vegetable  matter,  which  gradually  settle  to  the  bottom 
of  the  pond,  and  form  a  fine  top-dressing  for  the  vines. 

Young  plantations  should  not  be  flooded  until  the  third 
winter  after  planting,  unless  the  vines  are  infested  with 
worms,  or  the  ground  is  disposed  to  heave  the  roots  out 
while  freezing  and  thawing,  which  it  will  assuredly  do  if 
the  soil  is  composed  of  clear  muck,  or  a  portion  of  the 
oxide  of  iron.  The  object,  in  not  covering  young  vines 
with  water,  being  to  avoid  any  unnecessary  packing  of 
the  soil,  and  also  to  allow  them  to  commence  growing  as 
early  as  possible  in  the  spring. 

Some  difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  proper  time 


FLOODING.  65 

for  submerging  cranberry  meadows  in  the  fall,  some  as- 
serting that  it  may  be  done  any  time  after  picking  the 
fruit.  This,  however,  is  an  error ;  for  the  reason  that  the 
vines  are  known  to  make  a  very  considerable  growth 
after  the  first  frost,  and  the  berries  should  be  gathered,  if 
possible,  before  frost. 

It  is  a  safe  rule  to  raise  the  water  as  soon  as  the  tem- 
perature becomes  sufficiently  low  to  stop  vegetation.  The 
time  will  be  indicated  by  the  vines  commencing  to  assume 
a  dull  red  appearance. 

The  water  should  be  kept  up  all  winter,  and  not  let  off 
until,  say,  the  20th  of  April  or  1st  of  May  in  New  Jersey, 
and  the  20th  of  May,  or  1st  of  June,  in  the  latitude  of 
Massachusetts. 

It  is  not  safe  to  keep  the  water  on  savannas  in  New 
Jersey  later  than  the  1st  of  May,  as  it  would  retard  the 
growth,  and  render  the  blossoms  and  newly  formed  ber- 
ries liable  to  be  injured  by  the  hot  sun  or  drouths  in  the 
latter  part  of  June  or  first  of  July. 

Springy  bottoms,  which  are  always  moist  during  the 
dryest  seasons,  may  safely  be  flooded  until  the  10th  or 
even  the  15th  of  May  without  injury  to  the  crop,  be- 
cause there  will  be  sufficient  moisture  in  the  soil  to  perfect 
all  the  late  and  small  berries. 

Flooding  to  destroy  insects,  etc.,  is  alluded  to  in  the 
chapter  devoted  to  Enemies  and  Difficulties. 

In  order  to  flood  a  meadow  effectually,  it  is  necessary 
to  construct  a  substantial  dam  across  the  lower  end  of 
it,  and,  in  doing  this,  no  pains  should  be  spared  to  render 
the  barrier  reliable  and  permanent. 

It  is  false  economy  to  carelessly  throw  up  an  embank- 
ment, with  turf  or  muck  under  it,  leaving  roots  or  brush 
scattered  through  the  sand,  and  expect  it  to  hold  a  liquid 
which  is  always  striving  to  obey  the  one  great  law  of  its 
nature;  viz.,  to  seek  a  level.  Turf  fences  or  muck  will 
not  answer  the  purpose ;  the  only  dam  for  a  cranberry 


66  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

meadow  that  may  be  depended  upon,  is  one  constructed 
of  clean  sand,  free  from  roots,  or  pieces  of  turf,  and 
built  upon  the  solid  sand  or  loam,  as  the  case  may  be. 

If  it  be  desired  to  build  a  dam  across  a  meadow  con- 
taining muck  six  feet  in  depth,  dig  a  road  entirely  through 
the  'muck,  and  lay  the  dam  upon  a  sure  foundation,  or  it 
will  not  stand  the  test. 

Before  commencing  the  dam,  learn  where  you  want  it, 
and  then  how  large  the  flood  will  require  it  to  be.  Its 
locality  must  depend  upon  circumstances  ;  its  dimensions 
upon  the  height  of  water  required  to  flood  the  meadow. 
To  determine  this  last  point,  level  the  ground  with  a 
theodolite,  if  one  is  at  hand  ;  if  not,  take  an  ordinary 


Fit?.  26. — LEVELLING. 

spirit-level  and  two  boards,  and  proceed  to  the  lowest 
spot  along  the  line  of  the  proposed  dam ;  there  drive  the 
boards  perpendicularly  into  the  earth,  eighteen  inches 
apart,  and  rest  the  spirit-level  on  top  of  them,  pointing  to 
the  highest  knoll  you  intend  covering  with  water.  Bring 
it  to  a  level  by  tapping  on  top  of  the  highest  board. 

Then  send  your  assistant  to  the  knoll,  with  instructions 
to  erect  a  pole,  and  move  a  white  target  up  or  down  it, 
as  you  direct  him,  by  the  motion  of  your  hand. 

By  sighting  along  the  top  of  the  spirit-level  you  will 
be  enabled  to  judge  when  the  target  is  level  with  your 
eye. 

Having  established  this  point  on  the  pole — by  a  pencil 
mark — the  difference  in  the  height  of  the  two  positions 
may  be  ascertained  by  subtracting  the  height  of  the  mark 


FLOODING.  67 

on  the  pole  from  the  height  of  the  spirit-level  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground. 

By  way  of  illustration,  let  the  mark,  A,  (fig.  26)  be  one 
foot  high,  and  the  top  of  the  level,  B,  be  three  feet  above 
the  ground,  C.  Then  will  BC,  less  AD,  equal  two  feet. 
And  it  will  require  a  dam  two  feet  high,  erected  at  the 
point,  C,  to  raise  water  to  the  top  of  the  knoll,  D. 

Having  thus  determined  the  greatest  depth  of  the  re- 
quired pond,  build  your  dam  accordingly,  making  it  fully 
as  thicJc  as  the  water  will  be  deep ;  for  instance,  if  it  is 
found  that  a  "  head  "  of  six  feet  will  be  required,  dig  a 


Fig'.  27. — A   DAM    PROTECTED    BY   TURF. 

ditch,  six  feet  wide,  entirely  through  the  muck,  and  fill  it 
up  with  clean  sand  for  the  foundation  of  the  dam.  On 
each  side  of  this  foundation  erect  a  substantial  turf  wall, 
six  feet  thick,  to  support  and  protect  the  true  dam,  which 
is  afterward  made  by  filling  up  and  packing  with  sand 
the  space  between  the  walls. 

The  dam  should  be  made  somewhat  higher  than  it 
would  generally  be  required,  to  prevent  freshets  from 
overflowing  and  washing  it  away.  Fig.  27  represents  a 
dam  such  as  we  have  described. 

The  object  of  having  turf  on  each  side  is  not  to  hold 
water,  but  to  economize  the  sand  by  supporting  it  just 


68  CBANBERBY    CULTURE. 

where  it  is  needed,  and  also  to  protect  the  dam  from  the 
rippling  water,  which  otherwise  would  undermine  and 
wash  it  down. 

The  dimensions  given  for  the  dam  may  seem  large,  but 
if  you  attempt  to  construct  one  upon  the  muck,  or  make 
the  width  of  the  dam  less  than  the  required  depth  of  the 
water,  or  the  protecting  walls  narrower  than  the  bank 
of  sand,  thinking,  thereby,  to  save  expense,  you  may  be 
sadly  disappointed. 

"  A  thing  worth  doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well,"  is 
an  old  saying,  and  it  is  particularly  applicable  to  the 
building  of  dams ;  for  the  water  will  be  sure  to  attack 
the  embankment  in  the  weakest  place,  and  a  small  leak 
will  drain  a  great  pond. 

A  dam  was  once  constructed  in  the  manner  described, 
excepting  that  the  turf  walls  were  about  half  &$  thick  as 
the  embankment  of  sand.  The  result  was,  upon  raising 
the  water,  the  sand  settled  down,  and  forced  the  walls 
asunder,  threatening  to  u  let  all  the  mighty  waters  out," 
which,  no  doubt,  would  have  been  the  consequence,  had 
not  one  of  the  proprietors  adopted  the  expedient  of  driv- 
•  ing  down  large  stakes  on  each  side  of  the  dam,  and  con- 
necting^them  with  stout  wires,  thus  sustaining  the  walls, 
and  preventing  them  from  separating  further. 

A  dam  near  Tom's  River,  N".  J.,  built  at  a  cost  of 
$6,000,  to  flood  a  meadow  containing  three  hundred 
acres,  broke  recently,  because  of  a  weakness  under  the 
floodgates.  The  massive  gates  and  a  portion  of  the  dam 
were  carried  away,  which,  in  connection  with  having  the 
water  drained  off  in  midwinter,  has  damaged  the  owner 
to  the  amount  of  about  $2,000,  besides  doing  considerable 
injury  to  land  and  mill  owners  located  on  the  stream 
below. 

Floodgates  are  necessary  in  all  dams  of  any  considera- 
ble size,  in  order  to  regulate  the  depth  of  water  in  the 
pond ;  but  for  savannas  or  heath  ponds,  where  the  sup- 


FLOODING.  69 

ply  of  water  is  dependent  upon  rains,  the  damming  of  a 
ditch,  or  filling  up  with  sand,  a  small  cut  in  the  embank- 
ment will  frequently  be  found  sufficient. 

For  a  small  stream,  and  low  head,  floodgates  may  be 
constructed  in  summer  by  any  ordinary  workman,  as  fol- 
lows:  Select  cedar,  or  other  lasting  timber,  (as  the  water 
will  be  drawn  off  in  warm  weather,  thus  leaving  the 
wood-work  in  the  most  favorable  condition  for  decay) 
and  drive  down  thick  planks  on  each  side  of  the  ditch, 
with  their  broadsides  towards  the  outlet,  for  posts.  Then 
fix  a  plank,  ten  or  twelve  inches  wide,  in  the  bottom  of 
the  ditch,  to  serve  as  a  mud-sill,  and  nail  it  firnily  to  the 
posts,  letting  it  extend  five  or  six  feet  beyond  them,  to 
form  a  portion  of  the  wings.  These  wings  are  afterward 


io;  28.— FLOODGATE. 
boarded  up  along  the  dam,  on  each  side  of  the  gates,  and 
a  sheeting  is  constructed,  reaching  entirely  through  the 
dam,  to  convey  the  water  off.  (See  fig.  28.) 

The  corners  between  the  wings  and  sheeting,  as  well 
as  the  space  under  the  floodgates,  should  be  filled  up 
with  clean  sand.  Boards,  sliding  in  grooves  above  the 
mud-sill,  are  employed  to  raise  or  lower  the  head  of  water. 

In  large  rapid  streams,  or  with  high,  heads,  floodgates 
made  in  this  way  would  not  be  efficient.  For  these, 
plank,  driven  down  in  front  of  the  mud-sill,  is  the  only 
sure  method  of  preventing  the  water  from  flowing  under 
the  gate. 

Preparations  for  cranberry  culture  have  become  so  ex- 


70  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

tensive  of  late,  that  it  has  frequently  been  found  neces- 
sary to  .construct  massive  dams  of  earth,  similar  to  those 
used  for  mill-ponds ;  and  where  the  surface  to  be  covered 
is  very  large,  it  is  better  to  incur  this  expense  than  to 
leave  the  vines  uncovered  in  winter. 

Where  a  small  head  of  water,  say  about  one  foot  only 
is  required,  the  dam  may  be  made  by  throwing  up  against 
the  turf  fence  an  embankment  of  sand,  and  sodding  the 


.  29.  —  EMBANKMENT   SUPPORTED  BY   A   TURF  FENCE. 


face  of  it  with  turf,  to  prevent  its  being  washed  down. 
(See  fig.  29.) 

A  dam  of  this  character  may  be  seen  at  our  twenty- 
acre  meadow,  near  New  Lisbon,  rendering  efficient  ser- 
vice where  a  head  of  two  feet  is  required. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  this  as  to  other  barriers  for 
holding  water,  viz.  :  ISTo  muck  should  be  used  in  its  con- 
struction, and,  if  possible,  allow  it  to  settle  thoroughly 
before  raising  a  permanent  head. 


ENEMIES   AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  71 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME. 

There  are  numerous  obstacles  in  the  path  of  the  cran- 
berry culturist — obstacles  which  frequently  baffled  the 
efforts  of  early  growers,  and  disappointed  their  brightest 
anticipations.  But,  happily  for  us,  the  enemies  have  all 
been  met,  and  most  of  them  subdued,  but  "  still  they 
come ;"  we  may  defeat  them  this  year,  and  they  will  meet 
us  next.  The  fight  is  perpetual,  and  our  only  hope  of 
gaining  the  victory,  year  by  year,  lies  in  keeping  well 
guarded,  and  diligently  using  the  means  of  defence  that 
have  been  put  into  our  hands. 

FRUIT   WORM. 

Soon  after  the  hopeful  cultivator  has  established  his 
plantation,  and  while  he .  is  anxiously  watching  its  first 
fruits,  he  observes  some  of  the  berries  prematurely  turn- 
ing red,  shriveling,  and,  before  picking  time,  entirely  dry- 
ing up.  This  destruction  is  caused  by  the  fruit  worm. 

This  larva  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  ordinary 
apple  worm,  and,  like  that,  is  lazy  and  sluggish  in  its 
habits.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  perfect 
insect  lays  its  eggs  under  the  tender  skin  of  the  newly- 
formed  berry.  This  egg  is  hatched  by  heat,  and  the 
young  grub  eats  its  way  into  the  heart  of  the  fruit,  caus- 
ing certain  destruction.  It  has  been  asserted  by  some 
cultivators  that  one  worm  will  destroy  one  berry  only ; 
but  this  is  a  mistake  ;  the  same  worm  will  frequently  de- 
stroy at  least  two.  This  is  fully  established  by  the  fact 
that  two  berries  may  be  found  with  a  hole  passing  di- 
rectly from  one  to  the  other,  at  the  point  where  they 
come  in  contact — one  being  red,  and  the  other  fresh  and 


72  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

green,  with  a  nearly  full-grown  worm  in  it ;  as  further 
evidence,  we  may  state  that  worms  have  been  discovered 
on  the  passage  from  one  berry  to  another. 

This  premature  coloring  of  the  berry — the  effect  of  the 
fruit  worm — has  been  observed  in  New  Jersey  as  early  as 


Fig.  30. — WORK  OF   THE  FRUIT   WORM. 

the  10th  of  July,  on  the  dryest  meadows,  and  later  on 
those  that  are  moist.  Its  ravages  continue  until  the  1st 
of  September,  after  which  the  remains  of  the  fruit  are 
visible  in  the  form  of  dry,  hollow  shells,  from  which  the 
worms  have  disappeared.  These  shells  may  be  counted 
upon  a  small  space,  and  the  damage  ascertained  by  pro- 
portioning them  to  the  amount  remaining  sound.  In  dry 


ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  73 

seasons,  the  loss  resulting  from  the  fruit  worm  frequently 
amounts  to  one-half  of  the  berries  formed ;  and,  in  some 
cases,  it  has  been  so  great  as  to  leave  only  one-tenth  of 
the  fruit  to  come  to  perfection.  The  work  of  the  Fruit- 
worm  is  illustrated  in  figure  80. 

The  defense  employed  against  this  voracious  worm 
consists  in  keeping  the  surface  of  the  meadow  moist,  from 
the  formation  of  the  fruit  until  toward  the  middle  of 
August ;  if  it  is  not  so  naturally,  resort  to  irrigation.  The 
effect  of  moisture  at  this  time  seems  to  be  to  keep  the 
bottom  cool,  and  thereby  to  prevent  the  hatching  of  the 
worm — after  the  same  manner  that  weevils  are  avoided, 
by  allowing  the  grain  to  become  fully  ripe  before  it  is 
gathered  into  barns ;  thus  preventing  its  heating  in  bulk, 
and  hatching  the  weevils. 

James  A.  Fenwick  says :  "  I  have  observed  natural 
patches,  a  rod  or  two  wide,  sloping  to  a  stream,  where, 
next  the  stream,  not  a  berry  would  be  injured,  while  on 
the  dryer  part  three-fourths  were  destroyed — this  destruc- 
tion reaching  nearer  the  stream  in  proportion  as  the  sea- 
son was  dry  or  wet.  It  is  natural  to  infer  that  the  egg 
is  laid  in  the  berry ;  and  on  the  moist  land  the  tempera- 
ture is  not  sufficiently  high  to  hatch  it,  while  on  dry 
ground  it  is." 

Mr.  Fish  observes :  "  When  fully  grown,  the  worms 
enter  the  ground  and  spin  their  cocoons  within  a  few 
inches  of  the  surface.  The  cocoons  are  covered  with 
grains  of  sand,  and  are  hardly  distinguishable  from  small 
lumps  of  earth.  They  remain  in  the  ground  all  winter. 
I  do  not  positively  know  the  perfect  insect,  as  I  have 
never  been  able  to  rear  it  in-doors.  In  the  spring  of 
1867  I  bred  two  species  of  Ichneumons  from  these  co- 
coons that  had  remained  in  the  house  over  winter." 


74 


CRANBERRY  CULTURE. 
VINE  WORM. 


There  is  another  species  of  larva  which  feeds  upon  the 
leaf  of  the  cranberry  vine,  and,  when  uncontrolled,  works 
early  destruction  upon  the  whole  plantation  ;  spinning 


Fig.  31. — VINE  WOBM  AND  ITS  WORK. 
a,  Larva  ;  6,  Moth,  natural  size  ;  c,  do.,  magnified. 

its  web  around  the  leaves  and  upright  branches,  it  binds 
them  together,  and  destroys  them.  This  larva  looks  very 
much  like  the  fruit  worm  in  size  and  color,  excepting  that 


ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  75 

its  head  is  darker,  and  its  body  more  hairy.  Figure  31 
shows  the  larva  and  perfect  insect  of  the  Vine  worm,  and 
the  appearance  of  the  vines  after  its  attacks. 

James  A.  Fen  wick,  speaking  of  the  vine  worm,  says: 
"  It  feeds  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  leaving  nothing 
but  the  veins,  and  increases  rapidly  to  a  countless  multi- 
tude, causing  the  meadow  infested  by  them  to  appear  as 
if  scorched  by  fire ;  hence  their  name,  '  fire  worm.'  Upon 
observing  a  meadow  infested  by  them  in  April,  I  found 
the  worms  feeding  upon  the  leaves,  and  partially  sur- 
rounded with  webs.  In  June  I  noticed  they  had  webs 
enclosing  clusters  of  vines  (ignorant  persons  thinking 
them  spider  webs),  apparently  for  shelter  from  the 
weather.  Upon  approaching  them  with  a  heavy  tread,  the 
worms  suddenly  disappeared,  dropping  to  the  ground ; 
but,  stepping  noiselessly,  and  touching  the  webs,  the 
worms  would  drop  into  my  hand,  making,  at  the  same 
time,  vigorous  eiforts  to  escape.  By  the  close  of  July 
not  a  worm  could  be  seen,  but  the  webs  remained; 
doubtless  the  worms  had  enclosed  themselves  in  cocoons. 
In  August,  the  millers  arose  in  numbers  around  my  feet, 
taking  short  flights,  and  again  settling  upon  the  ground  ; 
by  September  these  had  disappeared,  and  the  worms  had 
increased  a  hundred-fold;  evidently  showing  that  two 
generations  of  these  insects  were  hatched  in  one  season." 

In  Packard's  Guide  to  the  Study  of  Insects  may  be 
found  the  following  minute  description  of  the  vine  worm, 
and  the  moth,  of  which  ft  is  the  larva :  "  Mr.  Fish  has 
discovered  an  undescribed  species  of  Anchylopera,  which 
feeds  in  the  cranberry,  and  which  we  may  call  the  Cran- 
berry Anchylopera  (A.  vacciniana).  The  moth  is  dark 
ash,  the  fore-wings  being  whitish,  dusted  with  brown  and 
reddish  scales,  with  white,  narrow  bands  on  the  costa,  al- 
ternating with  broader  yellowish -brown  bands,  five  of 
which  are  several  times  larger  than  the  others,  and  from 
four  of  them  regular  indistinct  lines  cross  the  wing.  The 


76  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

first  line  is  situated  just  beyond  the  inner  third  of  the 
wing,  and  is  often  obsolete.  The  second  line  is  the 
largest,  and  is  slightly  bent  over  once  in  the  middle  of 
the  wing.  There  is  a  large  brown  spot  parallel  to  the 
costa,  being  situated  on  the  angle.  The  third  line  is 
oblique,  and  slopes  before  reaching  the  inner  angle,  and 
is  forked  on  the  costa,  Avhile  the  fourth  line  is  a  short, 
apical,  diifuse,  irregular  line.  The  apex  of  the  wing  is 
dark  brown,  and  is  a  little  more  acute  than  usual  in  the 
genus.  The  length  of  a  fore-wing  is  the  twentieth  of  an 
inch.  It  lays  its  eggs  on  the  leaves  during  the  month  of 
August,  and  a  new  brood  of  larvce  appears  in  September, 
though  they  hatch  mostly  in  the  following  spring,  or 
early  in  June,  and  become  fully  grown  in  July. 

"  The  larva,  seen  from  above,  is  much  like  that  of 
Loxotcenia  rosaceana,  but  the  head  is  a  little  larger  in 
proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  body,  being  as  wide  as  the 
body  in  its  thickest  part  The  body  is  more  hairy,  while 
the  prothorax  is  not  dark.  The  chrysalis  is  rather  slender, 
the  body  being  contracted  at  the  base  of  the  abdomen, 
on  the  rings  of  which  there  are  dorsal  rows  of  fine  spines. 

"  Mr.  Fish  writes  me  that  these  larvae,  called  the  Cran- 
berry Vine  Worms,  hatch  about  the  first  of  June  from 
eggs  that  have  remained  upon  the  leaves  of  the  plant  all 
winter.  They  commence  to  feed  upon  the  tender  grow- 
ing shoots  of  the  plant,  drawing  the  leaves  together  with 
their  web  for  shelter,  concealing  themselves,  and  feeding 
within.  Before  reaching  their  full  size,  they,  if  very 
numerous,  almost  wholly  destroy  the  leaves  and  tender 
shoots,  giving  the  whole  bog  a  dark,  dry  appearance,  as 
though  a  fire  had  been  over  it.  This  is  why  they  are,  in 
some  places,  known  as  'fire  worms.'  Having  reached 
their  full  size,  they  spin  up  among  the  leaves,  or  among 
the  dead  leaves  upon  the  ground.  After  remaining  in  the 
pupa  state  about  ten  or  thirteen  days,  the  moths  come 
out,  and  deposit  their  eggs  upon  the  leaves. 


ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  77 

"  This  year  (1868)  the  moths  were  out  the  last  of  June 
and  first  of  July.  In  five  or  six  days  the  eggs  hatched, 
and  this  second  brood,  which  is  usually  the  most  destruc- 
tive, mostly  changed  to  pupa  on  the  20th  of  July.  On 
the  26th  of  July  the  first  moth  came  out,  and  most  were 
out  before  the  4th  of  August.  Most  of  the  eggs  laid  in 
August  do  not  hatch  until  the  following  spring.  I  did 
succeed  in  finding  two  or  three  larvse  in  September,  but 
they  were  rare  at  that  time." 

In  New  Jersey,  the  larvse  are  quite  common  during  the 
month  of  September,  and  may  frequently  be  found  in 
October.  We  are  disposed  to  believe  that  many  of  them 
live  through  the  winter  in  sheltered  places,  securely 
wrapped  in  their  webs.  Turf  fences,  and  densely  matted 
vines,  not  flooded,  affording  them  a  safe  asylum.  This 
opinion  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  large-sized  larvae 
may  be  found  early  in  the  spring  ;  and  also  from  our  hav- 
ing kept  a  worm  in  a  cold  room  until  March,  with  every 
indication  of  its  living  until  May. 

The  cranberry  was  not  the  principal  food  of  the  vine 
worm  until  it  was  brought  under  cultivation ;  while 
growing  naturally  in  bogs  and  swamps,  where  it  was 
liable  to  be  flooded  during  the  winter  and  early  spring,  it 
was  not  well  adapted  to  their  requirements.  The  worm 
had  made  its  home  among  the  Feather-leaf  (Cassandra 
calyculata]  and  Low-bush  Huckleberry,  until  the  days 
of  cranberry  culture,  when  it  descended  upon  the  new 
plantations,  and  threatened,  for  a  time,  their  entire  de- 
struction. But  Yankee  enterprise  came  to  the  rescue, 
the  meadows  were  flooded,  and  the  worms  defeated. 

By  some  it  is  supposed  that  there  are  four  generations 
of  these  pests  in  one  season ;  however  this  may  be,  by 
destroying  them  once  a  year,  they  will  be  rendered  almost 
harmless.  To  work  their  destruction,  keep  the  meadow 
flooded  until  the  10th  of  May,  in  New  Jersey,  and  until 
near  the  1st  of  June,  in  Massachusetts ;  or,  cover  the 


78  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

vines  with  water  just  before  they  blossom,  while  the  fruit- 
buds  are  showing  plainly,  and  hold  it  on  for  twenty -four 
hours,  but  no  longer,  as  the  water  injures  the  crop  of 
fruit  if  left  on  too  long  while  the  vines  are  in  this  state. 
The  latter  expedient  can  only  be  resorted  to  when  a  copi- 
ous stream  is  at  hand. 

Plantations  that  have,  to  all  appearances,  become  worth- 
less by  the  ravages  of  the  fire  worm,  may  be  restored  by 
flooding.  This  was  illustrated  on  the  "  Willow  Farm," 
near  Medford,  N.  J.  Upon  this  tract  osier  willows  had 
been  planted  among  the  cranberry  vines,  with  the  object 
of  obtaining  a  double  crop.  But,  like  one  who  aims  too 
high,  and  hits  nothing,  this  planter  lost  both  basket  ma- 
terial and  cranberries  ;  for  the  worms,  attacking  the  wil- 
lows, soon  spread  over  the  vines  beneath,  and  spoiled  all. 
The  meadow  remained  in  an  unprofitable  condition  for 
several  years,  when,  as  a  last  resort,  dams  were  construct- 
ed at  considerable  expense,  and  a  head  of  water  raised, 
which  resulted  in  exterminating  the  worms,  and  shortly 
after  (in  1867)  a  crop  averaging  one  hundred  bushels  per 
acre 'was  produced.  This  was  quite  a  recommendation 
for  the  farm,  and  enabled  the  owner  to  dispose  of  it  to 
good  advantage.  The  next  year  a  light  crop  was  general 
throughout  New  Jersey,  and  the  Willow  Farm  was  not 
an  exception ;  but,  in  1869,  it  again  yielded  handsome  re- 
turns, and  now  no  danger  is  apprehended  from  the  "fire 
worm." 

In  locations  where  water  cannot  be  commanded  for 
winter  flooding,  other  means  must  be  adopted  to  destroy 
these  insects.  Professor  Agassiz  recommends  building 
fires  at  night  around  the  meadow,  while  the  moths  are  in 
existence.  The  dazzling  light  attracts  them,  and  many 
fall  victims  to  the  devouring  flames. 

The  same  principle  is  sometimes  applied  more  effectu- 
ally in  the  following  manner,  viz. :  a  large  ball  of  cotton 
is  tightly  wrapped  in  fine  wire,  and  saturated  with  kero- 


ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  79 

sene  ;  it  is  then  supported  by  wire  over  the  middle  of  a 
cheese-box  lid,  for  instance,  with  a  handle  attached,  the 
lid  being  covered  inside  and  out  with  fresh  tar.  Several 
men,  armed  with  these  weapons  of  offence,  proceed  to  the 
meadow  at  night,  and,  with  their  lamps  lighted,  march 
over  the  vines  within  touching  distance  of  each  other,  all 
the  while  moving  their  lights  from  side  to  side.  The  ef- 
fect is  to  stir  up  the  moths,  which  become  scorched  in  the 
flames,  or  entrapped  by  the  tar. 

GRASSHOPPERS  AND  CRICKETS. 

Grasshoppers  and  crickets  sometimes  commit  serious 
depredations  upon  the  growing  fruit.  When  very  numer- 
ous, they  have  been  known  to  destroy  one  hundred  bush- 
els of  cranberries  per  acre.  They  do  the  damage  by 
eating  a  small  portion  from  the  side  of  the  fruit,  thus 
causing  it  to  shrivel,  until  nothing  but  a  dry  shell  remains. 
These  are  easily  distinguished  from  the  hollow  shells 
left  by  the  fruit  worm.  Grasshoppers  are  most  abundant 
upon  meadows  containing  a  large  amount  of  grass ;  while 
crickets  prefer  to  work  near  turf  fences,  or  on  some  locali- 
ty which  affords  them  a  good  hiding-place.  These  facts 
offer  strong  inducements  for  having  cranberry  meadows 
thoroughly  cleaned,  i.  e.,  free  from  grasses,  brush,  etc.  l  It 
has  been  asserted  that  flooding  will  dispose  of  them ;  but 
as  the  season  for  their  depredations,  viz.,  during  July  and 
August,  is  hot,  this  would  be  attended  with  great  risk  of 
ruining  the  whole  crop  by  scalding.  The  destructive 
visits  of  grasshoppers  and  crickets  have  not  been  very 
common  to  cranberry  growers,  and  many  have  rested  in 
the  belief  that,  when  they  did  come,  all  that  was  neces- 
sary was  to  raise  the  water,  then  hoist  the  gates,  and  let 
them  float  down  stream.  But  this  will  not  answer,  for 
the  reason  that  every  recruit  in  that  vast  army  has  nimble 
legs  which  render  him  quite  competent  to  "  paddle  his  own 


80  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

canoe."  This  water-cure  was  fully  tested  near  Medford,  a 
few  years  since,  where  an  eye  witness  avers  that  he  saw 
one  specimen  out  beyond  his  depth  actively  engaged  in 
teaching  diving-school. 

It  is  believed  that  deep  flooding  in  winter,  and  clean  cul- 
ture, are  the  surest  means  of  avoiding  the  depredations  of 
both  crickets  and  grasshoppers. 

MUSK-RATS  AND  MICE. 

Among  the  enemies  of  cranberry  culturists  may  be 
numbered  musk-rats  and  mice.  The  former  sometimes  in- 
jure the  crop  by  crawling  over  the  blossoms  and  fruit, 
and  also  in  boring  through  dams  and  letting  off  the  water 
at  unseasonable  times. 

The  latter  are  addicted  to  the  wasteful  habit  of  eating 
the  seeds,  from  the  berries,  both  before  and  after  picking, 
and  leaving  the  remainder  entirely  worthless.  Whole 
handfuls,  treated  in  this  way,  may  be  found  at  times 
during  picking  season.  The  only  remedy  for  these  evils 
seems  to  be  to  trap  the  vermin. 

FROSTS. 

Frosts  occurring  late  in  spring,  or  early  in  autumn,  are 
seriously  apprehended  by  the  grower.  If  they  come 
towards  the  last  of  May,  or  first  of  June,  the  fruit-buds 
are  liable  to  be  destroyed ;  and  if  during  September,  or 
while  the  berries  are  white  and  unripe,  the  effect  is  to 
soften  and  spoil  them. 

The  damaging  results  of  spring  frosts  are  avoided  by 
flooding  sufficiently  late  to  destroy  the  vine  worm.  This 
retards  the  growth  of  the  vines,  and  buds  are  not  formed 
until  after  the  danger  is  past.  Care  must  be  taken,  how- 
ever, not  to  retard  the  crop  too  much,  lest  it  be  overtaken 
by  frost  in  the  fall. 


ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  81 

Upon  some  meadows,  the  fruit-buds  in  spring,  or  unripe 
berries  in  autumn,  are  destroyed  by  frost,  while  others  in 
the  same  neighborhood  escape  uninjured.  Natural  bogs 
are  more  apt  to  suffer  from  this  cause  than  those  which 
have  been  sanded.  This  is  partially  owing  to  the  dense 
covering  of  sphagnum,  bushes,  etc.,  keeping  the  swamp 
from  becoming  warmed  during  the  day.  In  all  cases 
where  the  soil  is  barren,  deprived  of  vegetable  growths, 
stony,  or  sandy,  it  becomes  far  hotter  by  the  absorption 
of  the  sun's  rays,  and  hence  less  liable  to  frosts  than  one 
that  is  covered  with  plants ;  for  instance,  in  the  deserts 
of  Africa,  the  heat  of  the  sand  often  amounts  to  from 
122°  to  140°  F.,  while  upon  the  oases,  where  the  surface 
is  clothed  in  verdure,  the  temperature  of  the  soil  is  always 
lower. 

•  Plants  cool  much  more  rapidly  by  nocturnal  radiation 
than  the  earth,  and  this  fact,  in  connection  with  their 
being  at  a  lower  temperature  at  sundown,  is  sufficient  to 
explain  why  frost  is  deposited  sooner  upon  vines  growing 
among  mosses  and  grass  than  it  is  upon  those  cultivated 
upon  beds  of  sand. 

But  even  when  the  temperature  is  sufficiently  low  to 
produce  frost  on  cultivated  meadows,  the  berries  some- 
times escape  without  injury. 

It  is  a  peculiarity  of  frost  that,  when  removed  gradu- 
ally, it  loses  its  power  to  destroy.  Even  tender  garden 
plants,  when  frosted,  may  sometimes  be  saved  by  throw- 
ing cold  water  on  them  early  in  the  morning. 

When  frost  forms  on  vines  in  a  swamp,  it  remains  until 
the  rising  sun  dispels  it  rapidly,  thus  causing  destruction 
among  the  tender  buds  and  green  berries,  while  upon 
some  cultivated  meadows,  when  a  slight  frost  forms  dur- 
ing the  night,  the  sand,  by  reason  of  its  conducting  power, 
thaws  it  gradually,  without  any  injury  resulting  there- 
from. 

James  A.  Fen  wick  observes    that  "cranberries  suffer 
4* 


82  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

much  more  from  early  frosts  during  drouths  than  when 
meadows  are  moist,  particularly  if  they  are  covered  with 
old  vines  and  dry  grass ;  these  being  non-conductors,  the 
frost  remains  longer  in  the  morning ;  and  when  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun  fall  upon  the  vines,  the  thawing  is  sudden, 
and  the  fruit  is  softened."  He  says,  further :  "  I  have  ob- 
served the  effect  of  frost  upon  bogs  during  drouths, 
when  all  the  berries  appeared  the  same  before  sunrise,  but 
before  noon,  those  growing  on  old,  thick  vines,  among 
grass,  were  softened,  while  on  sanded  surfaces  they 
escaped.  Berries,  on  a  strip  where  the  vines  (in  a  natural 
bog)  had  been  covered  with  sand,  thrown  from  a  ditch, 
being  firm  and  hard,  while  on  both  sides  of  this  strip 
they  were  softened." 

EXCESSIVE  HEAT. 

When  berries  begin  to  change  from  green  to  white,  a 
temperature  of  85°,  F.,  will  soften  many  of  them.  This 
fact  will  cause  the  culture  of  cranberries  to  be  confined 
to  a  line  a  little  south  of  New  Jersey,  as  the  heat  of 
September  (the  ripening  season)  must  increase  to  the 
southward,  so  that,  although  the  fruit  may  be  grown,  it 
is  likely  to  be  of  an  inferior  quality. 

During  the  summer  of  1869,  one  very  hot  day  was  suf- 
ficient to  destroy  hundreds  of  bushels  of  cranberries  in 
New  Jersey.  The  berries,  being  partly  cooked,  remained 
on  the  vines  in  a  soft,  worthless  condition,  until  picking 
time,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  pickers,  who  were  re- 
quired to  sort  them  out. 

SCALDING. 

Scalding  is  the  result  of  a  hot  sun  shining  on  the  ber- 
ries after  rain  or  heavy  dews.  The  destruction  of  fruit 
from  this  cause  is  greatest  upon  new  plantations,  where 
much  sand  is  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  sun.  When  the 


ENEMIES    AND    DIFFICULTIES    OVERCOME.  83 

vines  become  matted,  and  thoroughly  shade  the  ground, 
the  loss  is  but  slight. 

GRASS  AND  HUSHES. 

Grass  and  rushes  are  not  the  least  of  the  difficulties  to 
be  overcome.  They  should  be  removed  with  a  hoe  the 
first  season  after  planting ;  but  during  the  second  and 
third  years  it  will  be  found  necessary  either  to  hand-pull, 
or  carefully  take  them  up  with  a  trowel,  to  avoid  loosen- 
ing the  runners. 

The  millet-grass,  being  an  exception,  need  not  be  dis- 
turbed, since  it  will  gradually  die  of  its  own  accord,  and 
make  room  for  the  vines.  (See  Chapter  VI.)  Even 
rushes,  it  is  said,  if  mowed  twice  a  year,  to  prevent  their 
going  to  seed,  will  give  place  to  the  vines.  They  fre- 
quently grow  upon  lands  that  are  best  adapted  to  cran- 
berry culture. 

Late  flooding  is  also  a  means  of  destroying  grass,  etc. 
(The  process  is  described  in  Chapter  VI.) 

Moss. 

The  moss  (Polytrichum  commune],  so  prevalent  upon 
lands  containing  ashes,  is  objectionable,  in  that  it  lifts 
the  runners,  and  prevents  them  from  rooting  in  the  soil. 
We  know  of  no  better  way  of  disposing  of  moss  than  to 
cover  it  with  an  inch  or  two  of  sand. 

This  remedy  may  be  applied  even  after  the  vines  are 
one  or  two  years  old  ;  the  runners  should  be  covered,  and 
the  upright  branches,  if  possible,  left  out.  The  vines, 
thus  established,  will  put  forth  runners,  and  take  posses- 
sion of  the  clean  surface. 

TIP-WORM. 

There  are  other  insects  beside  the  vine  and  fruit  worm, 
which  interfere  more  or  le^s  with  the  cranberry  crop, 


84  CKANBEKEY    CULTUK-E. 

which,  as  yet,  growers  have  not  discovered  any  remedy 
for ;  of  these,  Z.  II.  Small,  of  Harwich,  Mass.,  writes  us : 
"  The  most  destructive,  and  the  least  likely  to  be  noticed 
by  growers,  is  a  very  small,  orange-colored  insect,  called  the 
*  tip-worm,'  which  preys  only  on  the  newly-formed  buds 
at  the  tip  of  the  shoots.  This  insect  is  too  small  to  be 
readily  seen,  but  its  presence  is  indicated  by  two  leaves  at 
the  top  of  the  shoot,  standing  erect,  and  concaved,  or 
spoon-bowl  shaped,  on  the  inner,  or  bud  side.  It  seems  to 
do  its  work  in  the  summer,  while  the  berries  are  growing, 
and  buds  forming  for  the  next  year's  crop.  Very  few 
yards  are  entirly  free  from  this  insect ;  some  can  be  found 
in  almost  any  cranberry  patch,  and,  in  a  few  cases,  they 
have  been  known  to  destroy  the  whole  crop." 

The  tip-worm  has  been  noticed  slightly  in  New  Jersey, 
but  most  cranberry  growers  in  this  State  are  unacquaint- 
ed with  both  the  worm  and  its  works. 

SPAN-WOKM. 

Z.  H.  Small  also  alludes  to  another  insect,  which  he 
says  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  span-worm,  of  a  dark-brown 
color,  making  its  appearance  in  swamps,  and,  like  the  lo- 
custs of  Egypt,  leaving  only  destruction  behind.  A  few 
patches  in  Massachusetts  are  attacked  by  it  almost 
every  season,  but,  as  yet,  they  know  nothing  of  its 
parentage  nor  its  habits,  excepting  what  is  witnessed  in 
its  work  upon  the  vines.  It  comes  when  the  fruit  is  about 
setting,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  way  of  destroying  it 
except  by  raising  the  water,  which,  at  that  season  of  the 
year,  causes  the  fruit  to  drop  off.  This  worm  is  unknown 
among  cranberrry  culturists  in  New  Jersey.  (See  ap- 
pendix.) 

WANT  OF  MONEY. 

Our  list  of  difficulties  would  be  incomplete  did  we  not 
call  attention  to  the  very  serious  inconvenience  which 


PICKING.  85 

some  have  experienced  in  obtaining  money  to  carry  out 
their  too  extensively  laid  plans.  We  therefore  recommend 
all  beginners, who  are  likely  to  fall  into  this  difficulty,  to 
count  the  cost  before  beginning,  and  allow  a  sufficient 
margin  for  contingencies.  It  is  better  to  complete  five 
acres  than,  in  clearing  fifteen,  to  exhaust  the  treasury, 
and  leave  the  vines  unplanted. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

PICKING. 

If  you,  persevering  reader,  have  practically  followed  us 
through  all  the  matter-of-fact  descriptions  of  locating  the 
meadow,  preparing  it  for  the  vines,  and  bringing  it  into 
the  best  possible  condition  for  future  profit,  you  may,  per- 
haps, by  this  time,  have  experienced  some  of  the  weariness 
felt  by  us  while  living  for  months  in  a  log  cabin,  laboring 
to  accomplish  the  self-imposed  task  of  setting  out  thirty- 
two  acres  of  cranberry  meadow.  If  so,  we  trust  when  you 
come  to  "  picking"  on  your  own  account,  you  will  realize 
some  of  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  incident  to  finding 
the  fruit  of  one's  own  labors  abundant. 

The  picking  season  is  a  pleasant  one,  for  several  reasons, 
to  both  picker  and  proprietor.  The  weather  is  proverbially 
fine  in  that  most  delightful  of  all  months,  October,  when 
women  and  children  turn  out  in  great  numbers  to  join 
the  "  cranberry  picking "  frolic,  with  well-filled  dinner 
baskets  and  happy  countenances. 

The,  price  for  picking  averages  about  fifty  cents  per 
bushel ;  the  hands,  at  this  rate,  making  $1  per  day,  although 
a  "  right  smart "  picker  can,  where  the  berries  are  numer- 
ous, earn  $2  per  day. 


86' 


CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


In  New  Jersey,  we  commence  picking  on  savannas 
about  the  middle  of  September ;  but  on  our  densely  mat- 
ted swamp  lands,  it  is  deferred  until  the  1st  of  October; 
the  time  being  regulated  by  the  coloring  of  the  berries. 
The  work  should  commence  as  soon  as  they  are  suffi- 
ciently colored  to  command  good  prices,  in  order  that 
they  may  all  be  gathered  before  the  first  heavy  frost, 
which  may  be  looked  for  towards  the  last  of  October. 

Much  care  is  requisite,  while  picking,  to  secure  the  ber- 
ries without  bruising  them.  If 
they  are  poured  into  bags,  and 
used  for  seats  by  the  pickers, 
or  thrown  over  their  shoulders 
and  carried  half  a  mile  or  so, 
over  a  rough  road,  the  loss  from 
shrinkage  and  decay  will  be 
very  considerable.  But  if  the 
fruit  is  picked  in  peck  baskets 
or  boxes,  and  poured  directly 
into  the  packages  in  which  they  are  to  be  shipped,  no  loss 
from  the  handling  will  ensue. 

When  dead  vines,  grass,  etc.,  are  gathered  with  the 
fruit,  they  may  be  blown  out  while  it  is  being  poured  into 
the  barrel,  by  using  a  very  light,  movable  fan  (fig.  32), 

made  to  clamp  the  edge  of 
the  barrel,  somewhat  in  the 
same  manner  that  a  clothes- 
wringer  is  fastened  to  the 
tub.  This  machine  would 
also  remove  the  dried  or  shriveled  berries,  and  leave  the 
fruit  in  a  good  marketable  condition. 

The  idea  is  for  the  picker  to  pour  a  peck  of  berries  into 
the  hopper,  A,  and  turn  the  crank  B  while  they  are  run- 
ning through.  The  invention  is  not  patented,  and  we 
give  it  to  the  public  for  what  it  is  worth. 

We  have  used  peck  boxes^  fig.  33,  for  picking  in,  made 


Fig.  32. — POET  ABLE   FAN. 


Fig.  33.— PECK  BOX. 


PICKING.  87 

of  light  material,  in  the  following  manner,  viz. :  The  sides 
are  of  boards,  half  an  inch  in  thickness,  IS1]  4  inches  long, 
and  6  inches  wide  ;  about  these  were  nailed  thin  strips  of 
lath,  9  inches  long,  making  the  inside  dimensions,  when 
finished,  131 14  in.  x  8  in.  x  6  in.,  or  equal  to  a  heaped  peck. 
A  wooden  handle  is  then  screwed  to  the  top. 

This  box  is  cheaper  than  a  peck  basket,  gives  good 
satisfaction,  and,  when  properly  constructed,  will  last 
several  years. 

In  order  to  pick  the  meadow  over,  if  the  vines  have 
been  planted  in  drills,  let  each  picker  take  the  space  be- 
tween two  of  the  original  rows,  pick  on  it  for  about  one 
hundred  yards  to  a  given  line,  and  then  walk  back  and 
start  a  new  row.  The  object  in  turning  back  is  to  prevent 
confusion,  which  will  inevitably  result  if  they  are  allowed 
to  pick  in  both  directions,  or  if  the  rows  are  long  and  in- 
distinct. 

Where  there  are  no  rows  visible,  but  only  a  solid  mat 
of  vines,  let  the  pickers  all  start  in  evenly,  with  instruc- 
tions to  keep  in  a  straight  line,  which  they  can  nearly  do, 
for  a  short  distance,  by  the  slowest  pickers  taking  the 
narrowest  strips,  and  vice  versa. 

Sometimes,  when  no  rows  are  to  be  seen,  the  meadow 
is  staked  off  in  lots  of  a  few  square  rods  each  (this  should 
be  done  in  spring,  to  avoid  trampling  upon  the  berries), 
and  regularly  picked  over,  each  picker  taking  one  lot  at 
a  time. 

Some  care  is  necessary,  at  first,  to  properly  discipline 
the  pickers,  and  cause  them  to  pick  clean  as  they  go. 
This  may  be  done  by  calling  them  back  in  a  pleasant,  but 
decided  manner,  to  gather  any  berries  that  may  have 
been  found  after  them.  They  will  soon  take  the  hint, 
and  perform  their  work  carefully. 

It  is  very  important  that  a  reliable  and  expeditious 
method  of  keeping  the  pickers'  accounts  be  adopted,  es- 
pecially if  you  have  a  large  quantity  of  fruit  to  gather. 


88  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

The  old  plan  was  to  pick  in  baskets,  and  then  pour  the 
berries  into  bags,  only  taking  them  up  at  noon  or  night 
to  be  measured  by  the  boss ;  the  number  of  pecks  or 
bushels  picked  by  Till  Willitts  or  Hannah  Butler,  being 
then  credited  to  them  in  his  book.  The  objections  to  this 
system  were  serious :  the  berries  were  unnecessarily  han- 
dled ;  the  trouble  of  measuring  a  large  lot  of  fruit,  while 
the  pickers  were  standing  around,  impatient  to  get  home, 
was  very  great ;  and  the  accounts,  kept  under  such  circum- 
stances, were  not  always  to  be  depended  upon.  Hannah 
would  keep  her  own  account ;  and  if,  in  the  settlement, 
yours  did  not  correspond  with  it,  what  could  you  do  but 
allow  hers  ? 

These  inconveniences  induced  growers  to  look  about 
for  something  better,  which  they  found  in  the  peck  boxes 
or  baskets,  now  used.  The  barrels  are  taken  into  the 
meadow,  and  deposited  in  some  spot  convenient  to  the 
pickers.  When  a  peck  box  is  filled,  it  is  brought  up  and 
emptied  by  the  picker,  who  in  turn  receives  a  ticket, 
somewhat  like  this. 


ONE    PECK. 

( Grower's  Name.) 


Other  tickets,  of  different  colors,  and  larger  denomina- 
tions— for  instance,  ONE  BUSHEL,  and  FIVE  BUSHELS — are 
convenient  to  exchange  for  these.  The  object  in  having 
them  of  different  colors  is,  that  they  may  be  distinguished 
at  a  glance,  without  reading. 

This  does  away  with  all  measuring,  all  book  accounts, 
and  all  mistakes.  The  tickets  represent  so  much  money, 
and  are  frequently  used  as  such  at  the  neighboring  stores. 

Another  method  is  to  have  each  peck  box  numbered,  in 
large  figures,  and  keep  the  accounts  in  a  book ;  the  picker's 
number  being  used  instead  of  her  name.  The  advantage 


PICKING.  89 

claimed  for  this  plan  is,  that  the  proprietor  may  make 
the  entry  in  his  book  without  walking  to  the  picker  to 
present  a  ticket.  It  certainly  allows  him  more  liberty, 
and  a  better  opportunity  to  look  after  the  pickers,  and 
keep  them  straight. 

Joseph  Hinchman  has  adopted  this  mode  :  he  uses  a 
different  colored  pencil  for  keeping  the  record'of  each 
day  of  the  week,  which  enables  him  to  tell. just  what  has 
been  done  upon  any  day.  When  the  hands  are  paid  off 
the  record  is  cancelled. 

The  fruit  may  be  put  up  for  market  either  in  barrels  or 
boxes  ;  if  the  former  are  used,  new  barrels  should  be  ob- 
tained, with  a  capacity  of  two  bushels  and  three  pecks 
each.  When  second-hand  ones,  holding  three  bushels, 
are  used,  they  must  be  filled,  and  then  will  sell  for  no 
more  than  the  standard  barrel. 

The  peck  of  fruit  thus  lost  to  the  grower  would  pay 
for  the  new  package.  New  "  cranberry  barrels  "  may  be 
had  in  Philadelphia  for  fifty-eight  cents  apiece. 

If  bushel  boxes  are  preferred,  they  may  be  made  in  the 
following  manner:  Take  a  board,  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
thick,  and  6  inches  wide,  and  saw  it  into  pieces  18  inches 
long ;  then,  using  two  of  these  pieces  for  ends,  nail 
around  them  strips  of  ordinary  plastering  lath,  2  feet  in 
length,  leaving  spaces  between  them  for  ventilation.  The 
strength  of  the  box  may  be  increased  by  nailing  strips 
over  the  ends  of  the  lath ;  these  strips  will  also  answer  a 
good  purpose  in  keeping  the  boxes  slightly  separated 
when  stored  in  large  quantities.  These  packages  hold  a 
heaped  bushel,  and  cost,  at  this  time,  about  twenty  cents 
each. 

Barrels  are  the  most  desirable  for  shipping  in  ;  but  even 
where  they  are  used,  it  is  best  to  have  a  lot  of  ventilated 
boxes  for  drying  wet  berries  in,  previous  to  barreling 
them.  They  will  be  found  useful  during  damp  days,  or 
early  in  the  morning,  while  dew  is  on  the  fruit. 


90  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

Some  years  ago,  when  natural  cranberry  bogs  in  New 
Jersey  were  regarded  as  public  property,  even  as  the 
huckleberry  bushes  are  now,  any  one  being  allowed  to 
gather  the  fruit,  the  "  cranberry  scoop  "  was  freely  used. 
This  combed  the  berries  off,  and  also  pulled  out  large 
quantities  of  old  vines  and  dead  grasses,  the  removal  of 
which,  it  is  said  caused  the  bogs  to  yield  more  abund- 
antly. 

The  "  cranberry  rake  "  has  been  used  in  Massachusetts 
for  gathering  berries  from  cultivated  meadows,  but  it  is 
not  destined  to  come  into  general  use.  Among  young 
vines  it  is  damaging  to  the  runners ;  but  old  meadows  are 
evidently  improved  by  its  use,  since  many  of  the  dead 
vines  are  thereby  removed. 

The  rake  does  not  injure  the  fruit  by  bruising  when 
handled  carefully  ;  but  its  unprofitableness  is  owing  prin- 
cipally to  its  wastefulness,  too  much  fruit  being  dropped 
and  trodden  under  foot. 

When  berries  are  cheap,  or  difficulties  arise  in  the  way 
of  picking,  some  advise  flooding  the  crop  in  the  fall,  and 
leaving  it  to  be  gathered  in  the  spring.  But  there  are 
objections  to  this  plan ;  for  instance,  if  the  meadow  is 
flooded  early  enough  to  save  the  fruit  from  frost,  there  is 
danger  of  injuring  the  fruit-buds,  and  destroying  the 
hopes  of  a  crop  the  ensuing  year ;  and  if  they  are  not 
covered  until  late,  the  berries  will  be  frosted,  and  of  little 
value  in  the  market,  besides  being  expensive  to  gather. 

Efforts  are  now  being  made  to  perfect  machinery  for 
picking  cranberries,  which,  if  successful,  will  prove  a 
valuable  acquisition  upon  carefully  prepared,  cultivated 
meadows. 


KEEPING.  91 

CHAPTER    X. 

KEEPING. 

Cranberries  grown  upon  meadows  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  vines  keep  well,  while  those  gathered  from 
plantations  imperfectly  matted,  with  white  sand  visible 
through  the  vines,  are  'more  disposed  to  soften,  and  rot 
early.  This  is,  perhaps,  owing  to  the  reflected  heat  from 
the  sand,  together  with  the  direct  heat  of  the  sun,  ripen- 
ing them  too  rapidly.  Little  spots,  apparently  the  result 
of  heat,  may  frequently  be  seen  upon  the  sides  of  these 
berries,  and  when  thus  affected,  they  should  be  sent  to 
market  at  once,  as  they  will  not  keep  long.  As  a  rule,  it 
is  always  best  to  sell  cranberries  grown  upon  young  plan- 
tations, or  on  vines  not  well  matted,  as  soon  as  they  are 
sufficiently  colored.  This  spotting  of  the  fruit  is  not 
wholly  confined  to  meadows  thinly  set,  but  may,  at  times, 
be  seen  upon  berries  produced  amid  the  rank  growths  of 
natural  bogs,  especially  when  the  weather  is  very  hot  at 
the  time  of  ripening. 

Cranberries  free  from  spots,  and  carefully  handled  to 
prevent  bruising,  will  keep  well  in  places  suitable  for 
storing  apples  or  other  fruit,  with  as  low  a  temperature  as 
possible  and  yet  avoid  freezing.  Thorough  ventilation 
is  also  very  essential ;  hence,  for  keeping,  the  bushel 
boxes,  previously  described,  are  preferable  to  barrels ;  for 
the  reason  that  they  permit  the  air  to  circulate  freely. 

The  sun's  rays  have  a  softening  influence  if  allowed  to 
shine  upon  cranberries  after  they  are  picked  ;  as  was  illus- 
trated by  an  individual  who  stored  some  berries  in  open 
bins,  upon  a  shed  floor ;  the  sun,  being  allowed  to  shine 
through  a  small  window  upon  them,  caused  a  portion  to 
decay  very  rapidly. 

In  another  instance,  a  lot  of  fine  berries  were  put  in 


92  CRANBERRY   CULTURE. 

bushel  boxes,  and  placed  for  a  few  weeks  on  a  porch 
opening  to  the  south.  Those  in  the  rear,  which  were 
protected,  kept  well,  while  the  berries  that  were  in  front, 
exposed  to  the  sun,  rotted  badly. 

Some  years  ago,  it  was  thought  that  cranberries  could 
be  kept  on  a  large  scale  in  a  stream  of  clear  running 
water.  To  try  the  experiment,  we  put  a  half-bushel  of 
berries  in  a  slatted  box,  and  secured  them  soon  after  pick- 
ing, in  a  stream  of  the  pure  amber-colored  water  so  com- 
mon in  the  pine  region. 

These  berries  were  picked  from  young  vines,  and  would 
have  rotted  early  in  the  open  air;  but  when  they  were 
taken  from  the  water,  about  the  middle  of  May,  we  found 
them  still  fit  for  immediate  use,  although  entirely  too  soft 
for  shipping.  It  was  found,  also,  that  a  gelatinous  sub- 
stance had  formed  among  them,  which  was  difficult  to 
wash  out. 

They  may  be  profitably  kept  for  family  use  by  placing 
them  in  stone  jars  with  pure  water.  Wooden  vessels 
should  not  be  used  for  this  purpose,  as  they  impart  an 
unpleasant  flavor  to  the  fruit,  unless  the  water  is  changed 
frequently. 

Joseph  Hinchman  has  adopted  a  novel  method  of 
keeping  cranberries  in  large  quantities,  and  it  is  said  to 
answer  a  good  purpose. 

His  plan  is  to  put  the  fruit  in  large  shallow  boxes,  with 
perforated  bottoms ;  these  boxes  are  then  stored  in  tiers, 
and  a  current  of  air,  made  alternately  wet  and  dry,  is 
forced  up  through  them  by  means  of  a  blower,  propelled 
by  water-power.  Blowing  a  dry  current  for  a  few  hours, 
and  then  moist  air  for  the  same  length  of  time,  it  is 
claimed,  has  a  tendency  to  prevent  decay,  and  also  to  red- 
den the  light-colored  berries. 

The  moist  current  is  obtained  by  allowing  a  small 
stream  of  water  to  fall  upon  the  rapidly  revolving  wings 
of  the  blower,  when  it  is  instantly  converted  into  spray, 


KEEPING. 


93 


or  mist,  and  forced  with  the  air  through  the  main  pipe 
leading  under  the  berries. 

The  coloring  process  may  be  assisted,  also,  by  spread- 
ing the  fruit  four  or  five  inches  thick  upon  a  shaded  floor, 
and  leaving  them  thus  for  a  few  weeks.  This  fact  was 
well  known  to  the  enterprising  inhabitants  of  the  "  Pines," 
who  were  wont  to  gather  the  natural^  cranberries  in  an 
unripe  condition,  in  order  to  secure  them  before  their 
neighbors.  The  white  specimens  thus  obtained  were  in- 
variably spread  out  and  colored  under  an  arbor  of  green 
boughs  and  leaves,  made  thick  enough  to  exclude  the 
sun's  rays. 

More  or  less  decay  will  always  result  from  attempting 
to  keep  cranberries  through 
the  winter;  and  the  grower 
who  stores  for  a  higher  price 
will  find  it  to  his  interest  to 
sort  the  berries  before  selling 
them.  The  sound  fruit  usually 
becomes  well  colored  by  keep- 
ing, and  will  command  the 
highest  market  price  when  of- 
fered for  sale;  while  the  soft 
berries  are  generally  acceptable 
to  the  pie  makers,at  lower  rates. 

If  they  require  winnowing  previous  to  sorting,  a  fan, 
similar  to  that  represented  in  figure  34,  will  be  found  a 
decided  improvement  upon  the  grain  fan,  so  commonly 
used  for  this  purpose. 

The  endless  apron,  A,  forming  the  bottom  of  the  hop- 
per, gradually  carries  the  berries  forward,  and  drops  them 
upon  the  inclined  plane,  B,  from  whence  they  pass  to  the 
barrel.  Motion  is  imparted  to  this  apron  by  a  belt  con- 
necting with  the  farther  end  of  the  fan  axle.  While  the 
berries  are  passing  through  the  air  channel,  C,  a  strong 
current  from  the  blower  separates  the  trash  from  the  fruit. 


Fig.  34.— CUANBERHY  FAN. 


94  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

This  fan  is  the  invention  of  James  A/Fenwick,  and  is 
annually  used  by  him  for  cleaning  the  berries  obtained 
from  his  improved  natural  meadows. 

Cranberries  may  be  rapidly  sorted  by  allowing  them  to 
roll  down  a  smooth,  shallow,  inclined  trough.  The  rotten 
berries,  not  rolling  readily,  may  be  picked  out,  while  the 
sound  ones,  by  reason  of  thc4r  greater  firmness,  will  pass 
on  to  the  receiver  below. 

It  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  give  some  recipes  for 
preparing  cranberries  for  the  table ;  since  there  are  many 
who,  as  yet,  hardly  know  what  they  are,  much  less  how 
to  cook  them. 

For  instance,  a  story  is  related  of  an  Englishman  who, 
upon  receiving  a  barrel  of  cranberries  from  a  friend  in 
America,  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  them,  stating  that 
"  the  berries  arrived  safely,  but  they  soured  on  the  pas- 
sage" We  are  left  to  infer  that  the  uncooked  fruit  was 
served  up  in  cream,  a  mode  not  approved  of  in  JSTew 
Jersey. 

CRANBERRY  SAUCE. 

Dissolve  one  pound  of  loaf  sugar  in  one  pint  of  water, 
bring  to  a  boil,  and  add  one  quart  of  cranberries.  Cook 
about  fifteen  minutes,  or  until  clarified. 

For  TARTS,  spread  the  sauce,  when  cold,  upon  shells  of 
puff  paste. 

CRANBERRY  JELLY. 

Pick  and  wash  the  cranberries,  and  put  them  over  the 
fire,  with  half  a  pint  of  water  to  each  quart  of  berries. 
Stew  them  until  they  are  soft,  then  mash  them,  and  strain 
the  juice  through  a  jelly  bag;  to  each  pint  of  juice  add 
one  pound  of  loaf,  or  pulverized  white,  sugar.  Boil  and 
skim  until  a  jelly  is  formed,  which  can  be  told  by  drop- 


KEEPING.  95 

ping  a  little  in  a  glass  of  cold  water.  If  it  falls  to  the 
bottom  without  mingling  with  the  water,  the  jelly  is  done. 
When  it  is  lukewarm,  pour  it  into  glasses,  and  let  them 
stand  until  the  following  day;  then  cover  them  with 
brandy  paper,  and  paste  them  closely. 

PRESERVED   CRANBERRIES. 

Sort  the  cranberries,  and  use  only  those  which  are  en- 
tirely sound.  Take  one  pound  of  loaf  sugar  and  one  pound 
of  fruit.  Pour  on  water  enough  to  dissolve  the  sugar, 
and  cook  until  clear.  Put  them  up  in  the  manner  describ- 
ed for  jelly. 

CANNED  CRANBERRIES. 

Stew  the  cranberries,  as  for  sauce,  and,  while  hot,  put 
them  in  cans,  heated  in  boiling  water,  and  seal  them  up 
perfectly  air-tight. 

Canned  cranberries  are  used  extensively  on  ship  board  ; 
and  during  the  late  "  American  conflict,"  a  cheap  article 
was  manufactured  for  the  army,  by  using  half  a  pound 
of.  brown  sugar  to  each  quart  of  berries. 

EXPORTING. 

Although  much  has  been  said  concerning  the  exporta- 
tion of  cranberries  to  Europe,  very  few  have,  in  reality, 
been  sent  abroad,  owing,  doubtless,  to  the  high  price 
which  the  fruit  has  commanded  in  this  country. 

Boston  has,  until  within  a  few  years,  been  the  head- 
quarters of  this  fruit ;  but  we  learn  that,  for  the  twenty 
years  previous  to  1868,  not  more  than  forty  barrels  had 
been  exported  from  that  city. 

One  lot,  sold  at  public  auction,  in  Liverpool,  in  1867, 
netted  the  exporter  about  as  much  as  he  could  have  ob- 
tained at  the  time  in  Philadelphia. 


96  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

The  fact  is  clearly  demonstrated  that,  should  our  mar- 
kets really  become  overstocked  with  cranberries,  neur 
channels  of  trade  would  be  opened  to  drain  off  the  sur- 
plus. But,  as  yet,  the  American  market  is  not  fully  de- 
veloped. 

There  are,  doubtless,  many  little  towns  throughout  the 
country,  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  not  acquainted  with 
the  cranberry.  While  the  fruit  is  worth  $15  per  barrel  in 
New  York,  no  one  troubles  himself  to  introduce  it  into 
small  places. 

Should  one  or  two  abundant  crops  be  followed  by  low 
prices,  the  demand  would  be  greatly  increased;  for  tho 
reason  that  there  are  hundreds  of  families,  not  using  them 
at  $4  per  bushel,  who  would  become  purchasers  at  $:2; 
and,  in  course  of  time,  consider  the  fruit  as  a  necessary 
item  in  their  stock  of  winter  provisions. 

Several  years  ago,  we  were  recommended  to  transport 
our  berries  across  the  ocean  in  tight  barrels  containing 
water.  But  in  these  days  of  quick  passages,  all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  select  good  keeping  berries,  from  well  mat- 
ted vines,  and  ship  them  in  new,  dry  barrels,  well  packed, 
to  prevent  shaking  and  bruising. 


CHAPTER    XL 

PROFIT     AND    LOSS. 

The  cranberry  business  is  no  longer  looked  upon  as 
speculative.  It  now  takes  its  rank  among  those  legiti- 
mate occupations  which  make  good  returns  for  well  be- 
stowed labor ;  but,  like  any  other  business,  to  be  pursued 
profitably,  it  must  be  conducted  upon  right  principles, 
and  with  strict  attention  to  details. 


PROFIT    AND    LOSS.  $7 

Some,  from  a  peculiar  knowledge  of  what  was  required, 
and  others,  more  by  good  fortune  than  good  management 
in  selecting  a  locality,  have  achieved  brilliant  results ;  but 
many  have  failed,  and  many  are  now  entering  the  business 
who  will  be  disappointed.  Did  we  herald  the  successes, 
and  pass  the  failures  by  unnoticed,  we  would  not  be  doing 
our  whole  duty;  yet  the  failures  have  not  been  without 
causes,  and  the  principal  of  these  are  ignorance  and  ex- 
travagance. 

A  New  York  firm,  operating  through  an  agent,  we  are 
told,  spent  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  preparing  and 
planting  a  cedar  swamp  bottom  near  Manchester;  we 
visited  the  tract  in  186T,  and  to  us  it  had  the  appearance 
of  an  entire  failure.  The  trouble  seemed  to  lie  in  the 
sand  used  in  its  preparation,  iron  ore  being  abundant  in 
the  vicinity.  There  are,  however,  some  valuable  mea- 
dows in  the  neighborhood  of  Manchester. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  successful  meadows  in  this 
State  is  a  "  little  pond "  in  Burlington  Co.,  containing 
twelve  acres.  It  has  been  planted  some  ten  years,  and 
we  understand  that  the  original  cost  of  "  putting  it  out " 
did  not  exceed  five  hundred  dollars.  In  1869,  we  saw 
upon  a  spur  of  this  pond  a  patch  of  vigorous  vines  which 
had  been  in  existence  at  least  thirty  years,  and  the  pro- 
prietor informed  us  that  he  had  never  gathered  from  them, 
at  one  picking,  less  than  one  bushel  and  a  half  per  square 
rod,  and  sometimes  they  yielded  two  bushels  per  square 
rod. 

In  another  instance,  one  square  rod  of  the  best  vines  in 
this  meadow  was  staked  off,  a  line  drawn  around  it,  and 
the  berries  carefully  picked ;  whereupon  it  was  found  to 
yield  six  bushels  and  two  quarts,  or  at  the  rate  of  nine 
hundred  and  seventy  bushels  per  acre.  In  1868,  three 
acres  of  this  meadow  yielded  an  average  of  three  hund- 
red bushels  per  acre,  and  one  acre  produced  a  net  income 
of  $1,800.  It  is  said  that  $20,000  have  been  refused  for 
i 


98  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

this  meadow,  which  is  not  remarkable,  considering  the 
income  it  produces. 

The  figures  given  above  may  seem  large,  but  we  believe 
them  to  be  entirely  accurate.  They  are  beyond  compari- 
son with  the  profits  of  any  other  agricultural  production, 
and  have  rarely  been  equalled,  even  in  the  cranberry  busi- 
ness, although  sensational  writers  have  asserted  to  the 
contrary.  It  is  a  good  meadow  that  averages  one  hund- 
red bushels  per  acre  annually;  many  do  not  yield  half 
that  quantity,  and  yet  are  quite  profitable. 

The  cost  of  preparing  the  ground  varies  with  its  loca- 
tion, quality,  amount  of  damming  required,  etc.;  and,  at 
best,  our  estimates  would  only  be  approximate.  The 
average  expenditure  for  completing  one  acre,  where  the 
plow  will  turn  up  sufficient  sand,  is  as  follows : 

Original  cost  of  land,  say $30.00 

Ditching  and  damming 10.00 

Turfing,  25  cents  per  square  rod 40.00 

Removing  turf  (into  fences,  or  otherwise),  25  cents  per  rod 40.00 

Removing  stumps,  $2  per  day,  say 15.00 

Levelling  inequalities  of  surface 6.00 

Plowing 3.00 

Harrowing  and  making  drills  for  vines 3.00 

Ten  barrels  of  vines,  at  $3 30.00 

Dropping  and  covering  plants 8.00 


$185.00 

Expense  of  weeding  1st  year $  S.OO 

2d  " 6.00 

3d  "  4.00 

4th  "  2.00 

Four  years'  interest  on  first  cost,  at  7  per  cent 51.80 


Total  expense  at  the  end  of  4th  year $256.80 


PROBABLE   RECEIPTS. 


1st  year,  1  peck,  at  $4  per  bushel,  net  profit $    .50 

2d      "     Ibu.,   '"   "    "        ' 3.00 

3d      "     Sbu.,      "   "    "        "  "      "     24.00 

4th    "  SObu.,     "   "    "        "          "      "     240.00 


Net  receipts  at  the  end  of  4th  year $267.50 

A  meadow  of  this  class  should  pay  for  itself  in  four 


PROFIT    AND    LOSS.  99 

years.  The  crop  of  the  fifth  year  frequently  exceeds  that 
of  the  fourth ;  and  if  the  plantation  is  a  heath  pond,  or 
moist  basin  place,  and  is  flooded  during  winter,  and 
properly  managed,  it  will  continue  to  bear  for  many 
years.  Indeed,  we  know  of  no  instance  where  vines, 
growing  upon  suitable  land,  have  ceased  to  be  profitable. 
After  the  fourth  year,  the  expense  of  weeding  will  be  al- 
most nothing. 

Where  the  muck  is  of  sufficient  depth  to  require  sand- 
ing, this  additional  expense  will  bring  the  first  cost  up  to 
about  $275  per  acre;  although,  in  some  instances,  it  has 
required  twice  that  amount  to  prepare  and  plant  the  mea- 
dows and  construct  the  dam.  The  cost  varies  with  the 
width  of  the  meadow,  depth  of  sand  required,  etc. 

It  is  not  the  most  expensive  meadows  that  are  most 
profitable ;  for  instance,  one  in  Ocean  County,  we  are  in- 
formed, cost  $800  per  acre,  and  yet  is  very  unpromising. 

First-class  meadows,  in  bearing  condition,  command 
high  prices.  Several  years  ago,  S.  H.  Shreve  purchased  a 
tract,  near  Toms  River,  for  $1,000  per  acre  ;  and  even  at 
this  high  rate  it  is  said  to  have  paid  for  itself  in  three 
years.  This  meadow  was  originally  a  dense  cedar  swamp, 
and  was  prepared  by  clearing  away  the  timber,  turf,  etc., 
and  spreading  several  inches  of  sand  upon  the  muck. 
The  sand  in  the  vicinity  was  of  a  yellowish  color,  although 
entirely  free  from  loam.  About  the  year  1863,  Restore 
B.  Lamb  commenced  operations  upon  a  heath-pond  bot- 
tom near  Pemberton.  There  was  but  little  turf  to  remove, 
and  in  three  years  he  finished  planting  the  vines  upon  ten 
acres,  at  a  cost  of  about  one  hundred  dollars  ($100)  per 
acre.  These  grew  luxuriantly,  and,  in  1867,  when  only 
seven  acres  of  the  meadow  were  in  full  bearing,  the  yield 
was  twelve  hundred  bushels,  which  produced  a  net  in- 
come of  over  three  thousand  dollars.  In  1868,  owing  to  a 
partial  failure  of  the  crop,  the  profits  amounted  to  only 
about  one  thousand  dollars.  In  1869,  the  crop  was  esti- 


100  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

mated,  early  in  the  season,  at  two  thousand  bushels  ;  but, 
owing  to  excessive  heat,  and  the  ravages  of  the  fruit  worm, 
only  eleven  hundred  bushels  were  gathered. 

Cranberries,  at  this  time  (March,  1870),  are  worth,  in 
Philadelphia,  $25  per  barrel. 

We  are  informed  that  the  U.  S.  Government  has  recent- 
ly adopted  the  plan  of  regularly  issuing  cranberries 
among  its  supplies  for  ships.  They  will,  no  doubt,  be 
found  a  valuable  preventive  against  scurvy;  and  when 
their  virtues  become  fully  known,  the  demand  on  ship- 
board will  be  greatly  increased. 


CHAPTER    XH. 

LETTERS 
FROM  PRACTICAL  GROWERS. 

Chicago,  III,  Feb.  7th,  1870. 

Dear  Sir : — In  reply  to  yours  of  22d,  would  say,  as  to 
the  culture  of  our  marsh,  and  the  superiority  of  our  ber- 
ries, we  think  it  is  owing  to  the  large  depth  of  our  peat 
bed.  The  alluvial  soil,  deposited  every  spring  by  the 
large  overflow  of  several  miles,  deposits  entirely  in  our 
marsh.  We  also  attribute  our  success  in  part  to  the 
numerous  ditches  we  have ;  in  all,  we  calculate  from  16 
to  18  miles  in  extent. 

We  keep  our  vines  well  flooded  during  the  winter,  and, 
on  account  of  the  late  June  frosts  we  are  subjected  to, 
we  rarely  raise  our  flood-gates  until  the  15th  of  June. 

We  are  subject  to  early  frosts  in  the  autumn.  In  1868, 
we  had  a  very  promising  crop — estimated  at  2,500  bar- 
rels— but  owing  to  the  early  frosts,  only  picked  about  400 
"barrels  sound  berries. 


UETTERS    FROM   PRACTICAL    GROWERS.  101 

In  1869,  the  large  flow  of  waters  drowned  us  out  near- 
ly, and  the  crop  was  very  light.  We  consider  it  a  pre- 
carious crop,  at  best.  Yours  truly, 

S.  A.  SACKETT. 

The  cranberry  marsh  above  alluded  to  is  an  improved 
natural  bog,  containing  six  hundred  acres,  near  Berlin, 
Wisconsin. 

Hyannis,  Mass.,  Feb.  22,  1870. 

Dear  Sir : — I  cannot  express  strongly  enough  the  ne- 
cessity there  is  for  all  beginners  in  cranberry  growing  to 
procure  vines  from  reliable  sources  —  those  which  are 
known  to  be  productive,  and  free  from  rot.  For  three 
years  past  much  complaint  of  the  rot  is  heard  among 
growers.  The  fruit  commences  to  decay  about  the  time 
of  ripening,  and  often  destroys  the  whole  crop.  Careful 
observers  are  learning  that,  while  some  varieties  are  sub- 
ject to  this  disease,  others  are  entirely  exempt. 

The  profits  of  cranberry  culture  are  usually  large — be- 
yond comparison  with  any  farm  crop  raised  about  here. 
I  am  acquainted  with  a  bog,  containing  a  little  short  of 
two  acres,  that  has,  during,  the  last  ten  years,  yielded  its 
owner  ten  thousand  dollars,  net  profit,  or  an  average  of 
one  thousand  dollars  per  year,  clear  profit. 

I  am  interested  in  a  young  bog  of  140  rods,  and  here- 
with give  a  memorandum  of  the  crops  for  the  three  years 
just  past : 

1867,  gathered  35  barrels,  worth  $11.00  per  barrel $385.00 

1868,  "         37      "  "         12.50    "        "     462.50. 

1869,  "         30      "  "         10.00    "        "     300.00 

Gross  receipts $1,147.50 

Expenses  each  year,  gathering  and  marketing  fruit, 
cleaning  drains— 

1867 $110.00 

1868 120.00 

1869 100,00    $330.00    ' 

Profits  for  three  years $817.50 


102  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

The  original  cost  of  this  140-rod  bog  was  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  (250),  which  cost  includes  the  first  cost 
of  land,  and  expenses  of  hoeing,  etc.,  up  to  the  time  of 
the  first  crop,  in  1867. 

Wishing  you  success  with  your  book, 

I  am  yours,  etc., 

A.  D.  MAKEPEACE. 

Yarmouth  Port,  Mass.,  Feb.  21st,  1870. 

Dear  Sir : — The  whole  story,  all  that  is  essential  to  be 
known,  may  be  comprised  in  a  small  compass. 

1st.  The  soil,  or  bottom,  should  be  peat,  or  peaty  mat- 
ter. No  cold  springs — a  head  of  water,  so  that  the  bog 
can  be  quickly  flowed  at  any  time. 

2d.  Remove  all  roots  and  turf  down  to  the  peat,  where 
it  is  deep.  Cut  ditches  around  the  edge  of  the  bog,  two 
feet  deep,  and  three  feet  wide,  and  others  across  the  bog, 
if  required,  to  drain  it.  Cover  with  sand  that  contains 
no  loam  (and  that  will  not  adhere  when  pressed  in  the 
hand),  from  three  to  twelve  inches  deep.  Where  the  peat 
is  deep,  the  most  sand  is  required.  Set  vines  in  hills  or 
rows,  two  feet  apart.  .  Yours  truly, 

AMOS  OTIS. 

Harwich,  Massachusetts,  February,  1870. 

Dear  Sir: — In  reply  to  yours  of  the  2d,  would  say 
that,  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  I  prepared  two  small 
patches  of  muck  swamp  land  by  clearing  off  the  bushes 
and  surface  turf,  or  that  containing  the  roots,  then  covered 
it  some  three  or  four  inches  with  sand  and  gravel,  set  out 
the  vines,  and  kept  the  water  within  two  or  three  inches 
of  the  surface. 

The  vines  grew  very  slowly,  but  grass  and  weeds  lux- 
uriantly, and  both  patches  proved  an  entire  failure. 

A  few  years  afterward,  I  wheeled  off  the  gravel  and 

I 


LETTERS    FROM    PRACTICAL    GROWERS.  103 

loam  from  both  patches,  and  put  on  three  or  four  inches 
of  sand  and  gravel  that  was  entirely  free  from  loam  or 
clay;  drained  so  that  the  water  in  the  ditches  was  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  below  the  surface,  and  then  set 
the  vines,  as  we  usually  do,  in  small  hills,  of  six  or  eight 
shoots,  or  pieces,  eighteen  inches  apart  each  way.  The 
vines  grew  well,  and  with  very  little  trouble  from  grass 
or  weeds;  have  had,  generally,  fair  crops,  which  con- 
vinced me  that  the  failure  in  my  first  attempt  was  not  on 
account  of  soil  or  location,  but  wholly  owing  to  the  wrong 
material  used  in  covering  the  muck,  or  mud,  and  keeping 
the  ground  too.  wet. 

My  next  operation  in  the  way  of  cranberry  culture,  and 
the  one  that  has,  I  think,  been  the  most  profitable,  or 
paid  the  best  percentage  on  the  original  cost  of  any  patch 
in  this  region,  was  on  a  peat  swamp  of  about  two  acres ; 
the  growth  upon  it  was  huckleberry  bushes,  small  ma- 
ples, and  a  kind  of  low  bushes,  with  us  called  laurel 
bushes.  The  soil  was  from  one  to  three  feet  of  turf  and 
peat,  underlaid  with  a  thin  stratum  of  white  sand,  then  a 
hard  pan.  The  swamp  could  be  drained  and  flooded 
almost  any  time  from  a  pond  near  by.  This  patch  I  pre- 
pared as  the  others  before  named,  putting  on  the  white 
sand  taken  from  the  edge  of  the  swamp  and  upland.  Set 
the  vines,  which,  by  way  of  accident,  proved  to  be  about 
the  best  vines  yet  found  in  this  part  of  the  country.  They 
grew  well,  and  put  out  for  a  fine  crop  on  the  third  year, 
but,  while  in  full  bloom,  the  vine  worm  made  its  appear- 
ance. After  four  or  five  days,  not  only  the  blossoms  were 
destroyed,  but  there  was  scarcely  a  green  leaf  to  be  seen. 
I  had  flooded  it  every  winter  and  spring  to  about  the  first 
of  April,  when  I  let  the  water  off.  That  was  the  usual 
time  for  letting  off  by  the  cranberry  growers  in  this  vi- 
cinity. So,  that  year,  this  patch,  as  far  as  crop  was  con- 
cerned, was  an  entire  failure.  About  this  time,  which 
was  about  1854-5,  the  vine,  or  fire  worm,  had  taken 


104  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

almost  full  possession  of  all  the  cranberry  yards  on  the 
Cape.  After  trying  various  experiments,  such  as  sprink- 
ling over  the  vines  with  ashes,  lime,  pepper,  tobacco,  and 
several  other  articles  with  no  good  results,  the  growers 
became  very  much  discouraged,  and  began  to  feel  like 
giving  up  the  business  as  a  failure ;  but,  in  the  spring  of 
1857, 1  concluded  to  try  the  experiment  of  keeping  the 
water  on  or  over  the  vines  later  than  usual,  and  did  not 
let  it  off  until  the  4th  of  June,  and  flooded  and  let  off 
again  three  times  up  to  the  20th  of  June,  letting  the  water 
stay  on  each  time  from  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours ; 
the  result  was  the  vines  were  undisturbed  by  the  vine 
worm.  They  put  out  well  for  a  crop,  and,  after  quite  a 
portion  of  the  fruit  was  eaten  by  the  fruit  worm,  I  har- 
vested about  110  barrels.  Those  repeated  floodings,  in 
this  case,  were  to  make  sure  work  of  it.  I  don't  find  it 
actually  necessary  to  flood  more  than  once  where  the 
water  can  be  kept  on  until  it  is  warm  enough  to  destroy 
the  egg  of  the  vine  worm,  which  is  deposited  on  the  under 
side  of  the  vine  leaf.  I  find  that  the  insect  takes  no  note 
of  the  month,  or  day  of  the  month,  in  making  its  appear- 
ance, but  is  governed  entirely  by  the  temperature  of  the 
air  or  water.  In  a  forward  spring,  in  a  warm,  sheltered 
location,  the  water  may  be  let  off  earlier  than  in  those 
locations  more  exposed  to  the  wind,  or  where  the  water 
is  supplied  from  cold  springs. 

Where  we  have  the  means  of  flowing  at  pleasure,  I 
think  it  as  well  to  flow  soon  after  picking  time,  and  let 
the  water  off  after  the  hard  frosts — here,  in  Massachusetts, 
about  the  20th,  or  last  of  May.  The  greatest  difficulty  I 
have  to  contend  with  now  is  an  overgrowth  of  vines.  I 
have  tried  several  methods  to  overcome  this  trouble,  but 
the  only  one  that  seems  to  promise  any  favorable  results, 
is  putting  on,  or  among  the  vines,  some  two  or  three 
inches  more  of  sand  ;  the  best  way,  I  find,  is  to  spread  it 
on  the  ice  when  the  vines  are  flowed  in  the  winter.  The 


LETTEKS    FROM    PRACTICAL    GROWERS.  105 

process  of  flooding,  and  especially  of  late  flooding,  does 
something  to  prevent  the  ravages  of  the  berry  worm,  and 
it  is  at  least  a  partial  remedy  for  this  evil,  which  most 
cranberry  growers  have  to  contend  with. 

There  are  several  other  insects  that  interfere  more  or 
less  with  our  cranberry  crops,  which,  as  yet,  we  have  not 
been  able  to  find  any  remedy  for ;  the  most  destructive, 
and  the  least  likely  to  be  noticed  by  growers, 'is  a  very 
small,  orange-colored  insect,  called  the  tip-worm,  which 
preys  only"  on  the  new-formed  buds  at  the  tip  of  the 
shoots.  This  insect  is  too  small  to  be  readily  seen,  but 
its  presence  is  indicated  by  two  leaves  at  the  top  of  the 
shoot  standing  erect,  and  concaved,  or  spoon-bowl  shaped 
on  the  inner,  or  bud  side.  It  seems  to  do  its  work  in  the 
summer,  while  the  berry  is  growing,  and  buds  forming 
for  next  year's  crop.  Very  few  yards  are  entirely  free 
from  this  insect.  Some  can  be  found  in  almost  every 
cranberry  patch,  and,  in  a  few  cases,  they  have  been 
known  to  destroy  the  whole  crop. 

There  is  also  a  peculiar  kind  of  span  worm,  of  a  dark 
brown  color,  which  makes  its  appearance  in  swarms,  like 
the  locusts  of  Egypt,  destroying  everything  in  their  way. 
We  have  a  very  few  patches  attacked  by  them  almost 
every  season ;  as  yet,  we  know  nothing  of  their  parent- 
age or  habits,  except  what  we  witness  in  their  work  on 
the  vines.  They  come  when  the  fruit  is  about  setting. 
The  worm  and  the  fruit  may  both  be  destroyed  by  flood- 
ing— that  is,  the  worm  will  drown,  and  the  fruit  drop  off. 

Respectfully  yours, 

ZEBINA  H.  SMALL. 

To  J.  J.  WHITE  : — After  nearly  twenty  years'  personal 
experience  in  cranberry  culture,  and  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity of  observing  the  practice  of  other  cultivators,  I  have 
come  to  this  conclusion.  For  the  successful  cultivation  of 
this  fruit  the  following  requisites  are  necessary  : 
5* 


106  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

First. — A  peat  or  muck  soil,  free  from  loam  or  clay. 

Second. — Clean  beach  sand  for  covering  the  peat. 

Third. — A  dam  and  water,  to  overflow  the  vines  when 
necessary. 

Fourth. — Thorough  drainage. 

With  all  these  advantages,  apparently,  there  have  been 
some  failures — without  them  I  know  of  no  one  who  has 
profitably  cultivated  this  crop. 

The  limit  of  profitable  cultivation  of  the  cranberry 
will  probably  be  found  between  the  thirty-nintn  and  forty- 
second  degrees  of  latitude.  North  of  this,  the  period  be- 
tween the  ripening  of  the  berry  and  frost  is  too  short  for 
harvesting  the  fruit.  South  of  it,  the  temperature  is  too 
great  for  properly  ripening  the  fruit. 

Frosted  berries  are  improved  for  immediate  use,  but 
will  not  bear  carriage. 

When  the  fruit  is  grown,  and  ripening,  exposure  to  the 
sun,  with  a  temperature  of  ninety  degrees,  Fahrenheit, 
scalds  the  fruit,  and  renders  it  worthless. 

Good  cranberry  ground  can  be  selected  with  much  cer- 
tainty by  observing  the  natural  growth  of  vegetation ; 
the  best  are  those  deep  peat  bottoms,  in  which  the  White 
Cedar  or  Juniper  flourishes. 

Next  in  value  are  the  heath  ponds,  with  a  thinner  muck 
deposit,  generally  marked  by  a  growth  of  Gander  Bush 
( Cassandra  catyculatd) ;  if  these  can  be  flowed  with 
brandy-colored  cedar  swamp  water  (which  derives  its 
color  from  the  muck  or  peat  held  in  solution),  they  are 
very  little  inferior  in  value  to  the  first.  Other  soils  may 
sometimes  repay  the  expense  of  preparation,  but  are  best 
avoided. 

Good  unimproved  cranberry  soil,  without  timber,  is 
worth  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  dollars  per  acre. 

Properly  preparing  and  planting  the  ground  costs  from 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  five  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

First-class  meadows,  with  three-year-old  vines,  have  a 


LETTERS    FROM   PRACTICAL    GROWERS.  107 

market  value  of  about  one  thousand  dollars  per  acre. 
Some  have  sold  for  that  price,  and  repaid  the  purchaser 
in  three  years.  A  few  extra  meadows  have  sold  for  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

If  properly  prepared,  the  expense  of  keeping  a  cran- 
berry meadow  free  from  foreign  growth  is  very  small — 
averaging,  probably,  from  three  to  ten  dollars  per  acre, 
per  annum. 

Picking  is  done  by  hand,  and  costs  fifty  cents  per 
bushel.  Bushel  boxes,  thoroughly  ventilated,  and  cleated 
at  the  ends,  so  that  they  cannot  lie  close  together,  are 
best  for  preserving  fruit  that  is  stored.  These  boxes  cost 
from  sixteen  to  twenty  cents  each.  The  fruit,  if  well 
colored,  should  be  placed  in  them  in  the  meadow,  to  avoid 
unnecessary  handling ;  then  carried  in  a  spring  wagon, 
and  stored  in  a  cool  cellar. 

Fruit  should  be  well  colored  before  storing.  If  not  so 
when  picked,  it  should  be  spread  thinly  on  floors,  exposed 
to  the  light,  but  not  to  the  sun. 

The  market  value  of  cranberries,  during  the  winter  just 
past,  has  ranged  from  three  to  seven  dollars  per  bushel. 

Juliustown,  N.  J.,  3mo.,  4,  1870. 

BARCLAY  WHITE. 

The  following  is  the  experience  of  Samuel  H.  Shreve, 
of  New  Jersey. 

February,  1867. 

In  selecting  a  site  for  a  cranberry  bog,  it  is  first  neces- 
sary to  ascertain  if  there  be  a  peat  or  muck  bottom,  as, 
without  this,  our  labor  will  be  wasted.  The  peat  should 
be  without  any  mixture  of  loam  or  mud,  and  when  taken 
out  of  the  swamp,  and  dried,  should  be  light  and  flaky. 
Its  depth  is  not  of  consequence.  In  our  swamps,  it  is 
found  varying  in  depth  from  six  inches  to  fifteen  feet,  and 
even  of  greater  depths.  It  rests,  generally,  upon  a  coarse 


108  CBANBEBEY    CULTURE. 

white  sand,  and  is  mostly  found  of  the  best  quality  in 
cedar  swamp  bottoms.  Its  depth  can  be  found  by  run- 
ning down  a  pole. 

The  next  requisite  is  thorough  drainage,  which  is 
equally  important  with  the  peat.  "If  the  swamp  or  land 
selected  cannot  be  thoroughly  drained,  so  that  the  water 
can  be  brought  at  least  twelve  inches  below  the  surface, 
it  had  better  be  abandoned,  no  matter  how  advantageous 
the  location  may  be,  how  well  adapted  the  peat,  nor  how 
easily  it  is  flooded. 

Having  cleared  the  swamp  of  all  turf  and  vegetation, 
smoothed  the  surface,  and  thoroughly  ditched  and  drain- 
ed it,  it  is  then  ready  for  the  sand.  This  should  be  clean, 
coarse,  and  entirely  free  from  any  mixture  of  loam ; 
otherwise,  it  will  pack  hard,  and  prevent  the  roots  of  the 
vine  from  spreading,  and  from  reaching  the  peat  or  muck 
beneath.  The  runners  cannot  take  root,  and  the  plant 
will  scarcely  extend  beyond  the  hill  in  which  it  is  planted. 

Without  the  sand,  vines  planted  upon  peat  will  grow 
luxuriantly,  and  may  bear  one  or  two  crops.  The  surface 
becomes  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  long  runners  and 
uprights  of  twice  the  usual  length.  The  runners  become 
woody,  and  the  uprights  are  soft  and  flimsy.  The  pres- 
ence of  sand  is  absolutely  necessary  in  the  growth  of  the 
healthful  and  fruitful  vine.  The  vigorous,  short  uprights, 
full  of  berries,  will  have,  when  drawn  through  the  fin- 
gers, a  rough,  grating  feeling,  compared  with  the  long, 
barren  uprights,  grown  upon  pure  peat. 

In  addition  to  checking  the  too  luxuriant  growth  of  the 
vine,  and  affording  n,  requisite  element  of  its  proper  food, 
the  sand,  to  a  very  great  extent,  prevents  the  growth  of 
weeds.  The  depth  of  the  sand  upon  the  peat  should  not 
be  less  than  six  inches.* 

*  When  the  muck  is  only  one  foot  thick,  two  or  three  inches  of  sand  will  be 
found  sufficient. 

J.  J.  W, 


LETTERS    FROM   PRACTICAL    GROWERS.  109 

Imperfect  drainage  will  promote  tlie  growth  of  weeds, 
and  check  that  of  the  vine. 

Flooding,  though  not  absolutely  necessary,  is  still  very 
important.  Judiciously  managed,  it  will  almost  entirely 
protect  a  bog  from  the  ravages  of  insects. 

The  vines  should  be  set  out  in  the  spring,  and  a  little 
more  care  taken  here,  than  is  usual,  will  greatly  advance 
their  growth.  A  bunch  of  vines  is  often  placed  in  a  hole, 
or  furrow,  and  the  sand  pressed  around  them ;  and  they 
are  kept  in  an  upright  position,  so  that  the  runners  have 
a  difficulty  in  reaching  the  ground.  Some  little  pains  be- 
stowed upon  the  arranging  of  the  roots,  and  placing  the 
vines  in  an  inclining  position  will  be  well  repaid. 

There  are  many  pieces  of  low  ground  in  this  country 
where  there  seems  to  be,  naturally,  the  proportion  of  sand 
and  muck,  and  where  it  is  necessary  only  to  take  off  the 
turf  and  plow  the  ground  to  make  it  ready  for  the  vine. 
In  other  places,  after  the  removal  of  the  turf,  the  peat  is 
of  so  little  depth  that  the  plow  will  bring  up  the  sand. 

We  have,  growing  wild,  in  addition  to  the  Bell,  Bugle, 
and  Cherry  varieties,  others  as  well  defined,  and  as  valu- 
able. 

Cranberry  cultivation  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  we  have 
much  to  learn  concerning  it ;  and  a  little  observation  of 
the  great  number  of  bogs  that  are  now  making  will  teach 
us,  from  the  great  variety  of  soils  on  which  they  are 
made,  and  the  different  methods  of  making  them,  valuable 
facts,  in  many  cases,  at  a  heavy  expense,  to  unsuccessful 
cultivators.  But  of  these  facts  I  feel  assured ;  that  a  good 
peat  bottom,  pure  sand,  thorough  drainage,  and  a  proper 
flooding,  will  insure  success.  I  have  never  known  them 
to  fail.  Bogs  have  succeeded  with  but  a  part  of  these 
requisites,  and  similar  bogs  have  failed.  Because  vines 
are  found  growing  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  twenty 
feet  from  land,  where  it  is  several  feet  deep,  it  is  no  reason 
that  a  bog  should  be  flooded  the  whole  year.  Neither  is 


110  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

the  growth  of  wild  vines  any  indication  that  the  soil  there 
is  peculiarly  adapted  to  them ;  nor  is  their  absence  any 
argument  against  the  choice  of  a  swamp.  Exposure  is  of 
no  consequence.  As  compared  with  Cape  Cod,  our  bogs 
are  now  cheaply  made,  less  liable  to  injury  from  frost,  and 
as  productive ;  our  berries  are  larger,  of  finer  color,  and 
of  better  flavor. 


March  28th,  1870. 

The  vitality  of  the  cranberry  vine  is  so  great  that, 
after  it  has  been  transplanted  four  or  five  years,  if  the 
season  should  be  favorable,  the  yield  is  likely  to  be  very 
great.  This  fact  misleads  many,  and  is  the  cause  of  many 
foolish  theories. 

Many  again  form  theories  without  ever  having  seen  a 
successful  cranberry  bog.  I  mean  one  that  averaged, 
from  the  time  it  was  five  years  old  until  it  was  ten  years 
old,  about  201)  bushels  per  acre  for  every  acre  in  vines. 

This  large  yield  is  not  owing  entirely  to  the  soil,  etc., 
as  the  following  instance  will  show.  Near  mine  was  a 
bog  of  just  five  acres.  It  had  never  yielded  much  over 
600  bushels,  though  it  was  about  seven  years  old.  On 
my  recommendation  a  friend  bought  it  for  $6,500.  I  di- 
rected the  care  and  management  of  it,  and  the  next  crop 
was  1,500  bushels.  Since  then,  the  crop  has  been  from 
1,150  to  1,300  bushels,  yearly — an  average  of  over  200 
bushels  per  acre.  The  former  owner  now  offers  $10,000 
for  the  bog.  I  felt  very  confident  of  the  result,  for  the 
vines  were  of  a  good  variety,  the  soil  and  exposure  excel- 
lent. 

My  bog  has  never  produced  so  large  a  crop,  its  largest 
being  over  2,000  bushels  on  71  |a  acres,  and  its  average 
about  200  bushels  per  acre. 

In  a  few  words  I  will  give  you  what  I  consider  abso- 
lute requisites : 


LETTERS   FROM    PRACTICAL    GROWERS.  Ill 

A  good,  rich  muck,  entirely  free  from  loam  or  clay  ; 
pure,  clean,  white  sand;  good  water;  and  first,  last,  and 
all  the  time,  drainage,  drainage,  thorough  drainage.  I 
sometimes  think  that  you  can  almost  produce  any  effect 
upon  a  cranberry  bog  by  proper  drainage. 

There  are  many  other  points  to  be  attended  to,  the 
chief  of  which  is  the  vines.  The  habits  of  the  vines  diifer 
greatly.  Some  appear  to  grow  like  trees,  throwing  out 
.uprights  from  uprights,  never  taking  new  roots,  but 
yearly  increasing  the  size  of  the  main  stems,  or  runners. 
Others  show  a  stronger  disposition  to  form  new  roots,  and 
seem  to  drop  the  old  uprights,  as  new  ones  grow  directly 
from  the  runners.  These  are  more  uniform  in  their  yield, 
while  the  former  produce  larger  crops ;  but  I  believe  will 
not  live  longer  than  about  twelve  years  without  resanding 
or  pressing  into  the  earth. 

I  am,  very  respectfully, 

S.  H.  SHREVE. 

Pemberton,  N.  J.,  March  27th,  1870. 

Dear  Sir: — I  received  yours  of  late  date  a  few  days  ago, 
wishing  me  to  give  you  my  experience  in  the  cultivation 
of  cranberries,  which,  I  have  no  doubt,  is  similar  to  the 
experience  of  other  growers  whom  you  have  consulted. 
I  have  been  in  the  business  of  growing  cranberries  for 
about  twelve  years;  and,  while  all  the  ground  that  I  have 
planted  has  paid  well  on  the  investment,  some  has  not 
succeeded  to  my  expectations,  while  other  has  succeeded 
far  above  them. 

At  the  time  I  commenced  to  cultivate  the  cranberry, 
it  was  a  new  business  in  this  neighborhood.  I  had  to 
gain  knowledge  by  experience,  which  is  by  far  the  best 
way  to  acquire  it. 

The  articles  that  were  written  then  on  the  culture  of 
cranberries  were  detrimental  to  their  growth,  and  calcu- 


112  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

lated  to  lead  the  beginner  from  the  laws  of  nature  and 
success  in  the  culture  of  the  fruit.  All  advocated  beach 
sand — so  poor  that  nothing  else  would  grow — and  the 
ground  well  saturated  with  water  in  the  summer  season, 
and  flowed  in  the  months  of  June  and  July  to  kill  the 
berry  worm,  all  of  which  is  at  variance  with  the  proper 
growth  of  the  cranberry.  I  have  found,  by  experience, 
that  they  will  not  grow,  to  produce  much  fruit,  on  poor 
sand,  unless  it  is  underlaid  with  muck  or  peat,  so  near  the 
surface  that  the  vines  will  have  the  benefit  of  it.  And 
they  will  make  but  slow  growth,  and  produce  but  small 
crops,  unless  well  drained  in  summer.  And  that  flooding 
in  June  or  July  will  effectually  kill  both  berries  and 
worms. 

Cranberry  bogs  can  be  irrigated,  by  having  water  run- 
ning through  them  in  ditches.  Irrigation  will  be  a  benefit 
in  times  of  drouth ;  but  should  the  water  become  stagnant, 
the  vines  will  cease  to  grow;  and  if  it  is  long  continued  so, 
they  will  die. 

I  have  had  the  best  success  on  muck  or  peat.  Have 
had  as  good  success  without  sanding  as  with ;  both  have 
done  well  when  properly  drained,  yielding  from  100  to 
200  bushels  per  acre,  while  the  savanna  land  has  yielded 
but  from  15  to  40  bushels  per  acre. 

In  short,  I  think  the  success  of  raising  cranberries  is 
based  on  three  points,  viz. :  1st.  Thorough  drainage  in 
summer.  2d.  Plenty  of  mud  or  peat,  destitute  of  loam 
or  clay.  3d.  Flooding  in  winter,  to  kill  the  vine  worm. 
Hoping  this  may  meet  your  views, 

I  remain  your  Friend, 

THEODORE  BUDD. 


INSECTS    INJURIOUS    TO    THE    CRANBERRY.  113 

APPENDIX. 

INSECTS    INJURIOUS    TO     THE     CRANBERRY. 

Report  of  William  G.  Fish  to  the  Gape  God  Cranberry 
Growers'  Association  in  1869. 

It  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  understand,  at  the  outset, 
the  different  stages  through  which  nearly  all  true  insects 
pass  before  arriving  at  maturity.  As  an  example,  we  will 
first  consider  the  life  of  the 

VINE  WORM. 

These  worms  hatch  somewhere  about  the  20th  of  May, 
from  eggs  that  have  remained  upon  the  vines  all  winter. 
These  eggs  are  a  flat,  circular  scale,  of  a  honey-yellow 
color,  and  measure  about  0.3  of  an  inch.  Just  before  it 
is  time  for  the  egg  to  hatch,  the  black  head  of  the  young 
worm  can  be  seen  through  the  skin  with  the  naked  eye. 

When  hatched,  the  young  worm  immediately  finds  its 
way  to  the  end  of  the  young  shoot,  and  commences  to 
feed  upon  the  tenderest  leaves,  drawing  some  of  them  to- 
gether with  its  web  for  shelter.  It  is,  at  this  time,  of  a 
pale  yellow  color,  with  a  black  head.  In  this  way  they 
continue  to  work,  drawing  more  leaves  together,  and 
feeding  first  on  the  tenderest  parts,  and  then  upon  the 
older  leaves.  When  very  numerous,  by  the  time  they 
are  full  grown,  they  will  have  eaten  most  of  the  leaves 
and  tender  shoots,  leaving  very  little  except  dry  stems. 

They  attain  their  full  size  in  about  two  weeks  from 
hatching,  and  are  then  about  0.45  of  an  inch  in  length, 
having  become  of  a  dull  yellow-green,  witli  a  black  head. 

It  now  prepares  to  pass  from  the  larva  to  the  pupa 
stage  of  existence  by  spinning  a  slight  cocoon  among  the 


114  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

dead  leaves,  or  among  the  litter  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  within  this  the  worm  becomes  a  pupa,  or 
chrysalis,  as  it  is  sometimes  called.  This  pupa  is  about 
0.25  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  is  light  brown. 

Remaining  quiet  in  this  state  for  from  ten  to  thirteen 
clays,  the  pupa  works  its  way  partly  out  of  the  cocoon, 
the  skin  splits,  and  the  moth  escapes.  The  insect  having 
become  a  moth  (or  miller  is  the  common  name),  has  ar- 
rived at  its  perfect,  or  imago  state,  and  its  mission  now  is 
to  lay  eggs  for  another  brood  of  worms. 

These  moths  were  numerous  in  Eastham  from  the  10th 
of  June  until  about  the  first  of  July.  The  eggs  were  de- 
posited on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves. 

It  was  a  common  theory  that  the  eggs  were  "  laid  in 
the  bud  ;"  but  I  have  never  been  able  to  find  one  there, 
and  have  yet  to  meet  with  the  person  that  found  the  egg 
on  that  part  of  the  plant ;  therefore,  I  am  forced  to  con- 
clude that  it  was  only  theory.  I  have  seen  hundreds  of 
the  eggs,  and  never  one  but  it  was  on  the  under  side  of 
the  leaf. 

This  moth  is  most  active  in  the  afternoon,  and  just  at 
eve.  The  eggs  that  are  laid  in  June  hatch  sometime 
about  the  4th  of  July,  and  the  insect  passes  through  the 
same  stages  of  existence  as  before,  moths  coming  out  in 
August,  and  laying  eggs  on  the  vine.  These  eggs  remain 
on  the  vines  all  winter.  A  very  few  may  hatch  in  Sep- 
tember, but  I  have  never  succeeded  in  finding  more  than 
three  or  four  in  that  month.  The  first  brood  is  not  usu- 
ally so  numerous  as  the  second ;  but  this  year  the  first 
brood  visited  the  bog  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Robbins,  of  Har- 
wich, and  completely  stripped  the  vines,  eating  everything 
that  it  could  eat.  I  visited  his  bog  on  the  28th  of  June, 
and  I  never  saw  the  second  brood  do  more  than  this  first 
brood  did.  I  think  this  bog  was  under  water  until  the 
first  of  June. 

At  Sandwich,  on  the   16th  of  July,  there   were  vine 


INSECTS    INJURIOUS    TO    THE    CRANBERRY.  115 

worms  of  the  second  brood  nearly  full  grown  upon  one 
bog,  while  upon  another,  several  miles  away,  the  millers 
were  just  laying  their  eggs  for  the  second  brood. 

Water  is,  and  probably  always  will  be,  the  most  ef- 
fective agent  in  destroying  this  insect.  Those  that  have 
this  convenient  will  find  it  best,  I  think,  to  flow  their  bogs 
once  or  twice  between  the  10th  of  May  and  the  7th  of 
June — that  is,  if  they  let  off  the  water  early  in  the  spring. 
If  they  keep  on  the  water  until  the  first  of  June,  it  would 
be  well  to  flow  two  or  three  times  during  the  month. 

I  think  it  will  be  difficult  to  find  anything  that  can  be 
readily  applied  to  destroy  these  insects  in  their  larva,  or 
worm  state.  They  live  so  sheltered  within  the  leaves  that 
they  have  drawn  together,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
reach  them  all,  except  with  water. 

When  they  have  spun  their  cocoons,  and  have  been 
changed  to  chrysalides,  I  think  it  doubtful  if  we  can  reach 
them  with  anything. 

I  hope  that,  in  time,  we  shall  find  some  way  to  entrap 
the  millers  and  destroy  them ;  or  that  something  will  be 
found  that  will  make  the  vines  offensive,  and  drive  them 
away. 

Knowing  that  some  moths  were  attracted  by  a  mixture 
of  molasses  and  water,  I  experimented  with  that,  and 
found  that  it  did  not  attract  this  miller.  I  have  had  no 
opportunity  to  test  fires,  but  from  what  I  can  learn  from 
others,  I  think  that  it  is  an  uncertain  remedy,  at  least. 

Many  of  these  millers  might  be  destroyed  by  catching 
them  in  a  hand-net  of  muslin,  and  crushing  them.  On  a 
large  bog,  this  would  be  tedious ;  but  on  a  small  bog,  one 
or  two  persons  could  soon  catch  most  of  the  millers  after 
a  little  practice  in  handling  the  net,  going  over  the  vines 
about  sunset. 

Sawdust,  or  old  rags  that  have  been  soaked  in  kerosene, 
or  something  else  offensive  to  insects,  if  scattered  about 


116  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

among  the  vines,  just  as  the  millers  come  out,  might  drive 
them  away,  although  I  have  not  tried  the  experiment. 

"THE  FRUIT  WORM" 

Is  placed,  by  scientific  men,  in  the  same  family,  Tor- 
tricidoe,  as  the  vine  worm,  but  it  is  a  distinct  species. 

It  is  probable  that  the  most  of  us  are  familiar  with  the 
habits  of  this  insect  in  its  larva  state.  About  the  first  of 
August,  some  of  the  small  cranberries  will  turn  prema- 
turely red  ;  and,  on  opening  them,  we  find  a  small  yellow- 
green  worm  feeding  upon  the  inside  of  the  berry.  Hav- 
ing exhausted  the  interior  of  one,  it  enters  another,  and  in 
this  way  destroys  several  before  reaching  its  full  size. 

I  took  the  first  one  this  year  upon  the  21st  of  July,  and 
at  this  date,  August  18th,  they  are  full  grown  and  some 
have  left  the  fruit.  The  above  dates  refer  to  bogs  that 
were  not  flowed  in  the  winter. 

On  such  bogs,  I  have  always  found  it  hard  to  find  the  fruit 
worm  after  the  first. of  September.  They  travel  at  night, 
from  one  cranberry  to  another.  When  full  grown,  they  are 
about  one-half  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  are  of  a  light  green 
color,  tinged  with  pink  upon  the  back.  The  mouth  is  dark 
brown.  They  now  enter  the  ground,  and  just  below  the 
surface,  they  spin  a  close  cocoon,  covered  with  grains  of 
sand,  or  other  substance,  and  there  change  to  chrysalides. 

This  is  as  far  as  I  have  traced  them,  as  all  that  I  have 
tried  to  raise  for  several  seasons  have  died  after  spinning 
their  cocoons.  They  have  to  be  kept  over  winter,  to  rear 
the  moth,  and  they  do  not  do  well  in  the  house. 

This  worm  has  been  considered  the  same  as  the  "  apple 
worm,"  but  it  is  distinct  from  that  insect.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  but  that  it  is  the  larva  of  a  moth,  as  I  have  high 
scientific  authority  for  the  statement. 

Some  have  thought  that  it  was  similar  to  the  curcu- 
lio,  and  that  the  parent  insect  punctured  the  fruit  and 


INSECTS    INJURIOUS   TO    THE    CRANBERRY.  117 

laid  its  egg  within ;  but  there  is  no  resemblance  whatever 
between  this  insect  and  the  curculio,  except  that  they  both 
destroy  fruit ;  and  there  are  no  facts  to  prove  that  the  pa- 
rent insect  punctures  the  berry. 

The  millers  have  no  instruments,  to  my  knowledge, 
with  which  they  could  pierce  the  skin  of  a  cranberry. 

One  gentleman  has  raised  "  waspish  "  flies  from  these 
worms.  So  have  I,  after  keeping  the  cocoons  over  winter ; 
but  they  were  ichneumons  of  two  different  species,  para- 
sites that  had  destroyed  the  worms,  and  were,  therefore, 
our  friends  instead  of  enemies. 

I  hope  to  rear  the  moth  by  another  spring,  and  if  I  do, 
will  report  to  the  Association.  I  watched  closely  to  de- 
tect the  moth  in  depositing  its  egg,  but  did  not  succeed. 

In  the  absence  of  all  facts  in  regard  to  the  moth,  the 
most  natural  theory  seems  to  be  that  the  egg  is  laid  by 
the  moth  upon  the  berry  just  after  it  sets,  and  the  egg 
hatching,  the  young  worm  burrows  into  the  fruit. 

The  apple  moth  belongs  to  this  family,  and  deposits  its 
egg  upon  the  apple  in  the  blossom  end,  the  egg  hatches, 
and  the  worm  eats  its  way  into  the  fruit.  I  hope,  in 
time,  to  learn  the  facts.  During  the  first  half  of  August, 
the  wormy  berries  examined  will  have,  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten,  the  hole  close  to  the  stem.  After  the  worms  get 
larger,  the  hole  will  more  frequently  be  on  the  side. 

I  found  that  by  putting  the  berries  under  water,  the 
worms  would  come  out  in  a  few  hours,  and  that  twenty- 
four  hours  would  destroy  them.  I  have  tried  twelve 
hours,  and  found  that  to  be  enough  to  kill  most  of  them, 
although  two  or  three  had  their  holes  stopped  so  tightly 
that  the  water  did  not  reach  them.  It  has  been  remarked 
by  a  friend  that,  where  a  bog  can  be  flowed,  the  water  is 
usually  kept  on  long  enough  in  spring  to  prevent  these 
insects  doing  great  injury ;  but  as  some  are  giving  up  the 
practice  of  late  flowing,  it  may  be  found  advantageous  to 
flow  some  time  between  the  10th  and  25th  of  August, 


118  CRANBERRY    CULTURE, 

provided  it  does  not  injure  the  berries.  I  find  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion  among  growers  as  to  the  eifect  that  water 
would  have  upon  the  berries  at  that  time,  and  the  matter 
could  only  be  decided  by  experiment. 

At  their  first  appearance,  I  think  it  would  be  useless  to 
flow,  as  at  that  time  the  berry  is  almost  completely  water- 
tight. 

Mr.  Wm.  Chipman,  of  Sandwich,  once  tried  with  suc- 
cess strewing  ashes  over  the  vines,  just  as  the  berries  were 
setting.  Mr.  Joshua  Cole,  of  Eastham,  once  tried  tobacco 
water  with  good  effect ;  he  tried  it  again  another  year, 
without  success. 

It  will  be  necessary  for  those  who  experiment  with  such 
things  to  be  well  posted  in  regard  to  the  habits  of  the 
insects  they  are  dealing  with,  as  a  few  hours'  difference  in 
the  time  of  using  any  remedy  might  make  success  impos- 
sible. 

There  is  but  one  other  caterpillar  that  has  yet  proved 
very  destructive  to  the  cranberry,  and  that  is  known  as 
the 

BLACK  SPAN  WORM, 

although  it  is  far  from  being  black. 

I  first  met  with  this  insect  at  Harwich,  August  25th, 
1869,  where  I  saw  some  that  had  been  taken  from  the  bog 
of  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Underwood,  where  they  did  much  dam- 
age. They  also  injured  the  vines  of  Mr.  Nathaniel 
Hinckley,  of  Marston's  Mills. 

I  sent  some  of  these  span  worms  that  were  taken  on 
Mr.  Underwood's  bog  to  A.  S.  Packard,  Jr.,  M.  D.,  of 
Salem,  who  was  publishing  a  work  on  insects. 

He  gives  a  description  of  it  in  his  work  called  "A 
Guide  to  the  Study  of  Insects,"  a  work  that  should  be  in 
the  hands  of  every  one  who  has  insects  to  deal  with. 

Dr.  Packard  says  of  it :     "  It  is  a  dull  reddish-brown, 


INSECTS    INJURIOUS    TO    THE    CRANBERRY.  119 

simulating  the  color  of  the  twigs  of  the  cranberry,  and 
is  finely  lineated  with  still  darker  lines.  The  head  is 
speckled  with  brown,  with  a  conspicuous  transverse  band 
across  the  vertex,  and  two  rows  of  pale  spots  across  the 
front.  Just  above  the  spiracles  is  a  broad,  dusky  band. 
Beneath  the  body  is  paler,  with  a  mesial  clear  line,  edged 
with  brown.  It  is  0.8  of  an  inch  in  length." 

This  year  I  have  heard  from  them  but  once.  On  the 
3d  of  August,  Freeman  Ryder,  Jr.,  of  North  Harwich, 
sent  me  a  small  box,  by  mail,  containing  quite  a  number 
of  these  span  worms.  I  could  not  visit  Mr.  Ryder's  bog 
until  the  next  week,  and  when  I  did  so,  I  found  that  they 
had  all  disappeared.  They  were  not  near  so  numerous  as 
on  Mr.  Underwood's  bog,  last  year.  I  think  that  they 
must  go  just  under  the  surface  of  the  ground  to  change 
to  chrysalides. 

Only  twp  of  those  I  received  changed  to  chrysalides, 
and,  as  yet,  the  moth  has  riot  escaped.  The  chrysalis  is 
0.38  of  an  inch  in  length,  of  a  mahogany-brown  color, 
quite  dark  about  the  head. 

This  insect  is  probably  only  an  occasional  feeder  upon 
the  cranberry,  for  if  this  plant  was  its  only  food,  we 
should  find  it  every  year  upon  the  bogs.  It  has  been 
suggested  to  me  that  the  European  House  Sparrow  might 
be  made  useful  if  this  insect  should  ever  become  very 
numerous.  If  it  would  hunt  out  the  vine  worms  also, 
and  catch  the  millers  as  they  come  forth,  it  would  be  a 
very  valuable  friend. 

The  common  Blue  Bird  is  one  of  the  greatest  destroyers 
of  small  caterpillars  and  worms,  and  should  be  protected 
everywhere.  This  span  worm  feeds  upon  the  tender 
shoots,  and  later  upon  the  older  leaves.  It  spins  no  web. 

THE  CECIDOMYIA,  OR  GALL  GNAT,  OF  THE  CRANBERRY. 

We  now  come  to  an  insect  very  different  from  those 
before  described. 


120  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

If  you  go  over  your  vines  about  the  middle  of  June, 
and  look  carefully  at  the  tips  of  the  growing  shoots,  you 
will  notice  that  some  of  the  small  leaves  at  the  end  are 
closed  together.  These  leaves  have  much  the  same  ap- 
pearance as  those  drawn  together  by  the  vine  worm  when 
it  first  commences  to  work  in  the  tip  of  the  shoot ;  but  if 
you  examine  them,  you  will  find  that  there  is  no  web,  and 
that  the  leaves  have  grown  out  of  shape. 

Within  some  of  the  smaller  leaves,  protected  by  those 
that  are  closed  together,  you  will  find  the  author  of  the 
mischief,  a  small,  orange-colored  maggot,  without  legs, 
and  measuring,  when  full  grown,  but  about  0.6  of  an  inch 
in  length. 

This  maggot,  when  it  first  hatches,  is  white,  but  its 
color  increases  as  it  grows,  until,  when  full  grown,  it  is 
orange. 

By  the  30th  of  June,  most  of  them  w^ill  have  spun  a 
little  oblong  cocoon  within  some  of  the  small  leaves  at 
the  end  of  the  shoot.  This  cocoon  resembles  white  tissue 
paper,  and  within  can  be  found  the  orange  colored  pupa. 
In  this  state  it  can  readily  be  distinguished  from  the 
maggot  by  the  blunt  head,  whereas,  in  the  maggot,  both 
ends  are  tapering. 

After  remaining  in  the  cocoons  about  twelve  days,  the 
perfect  insect,  a  gnat,  comes  forth.  This  gnat  is  0.4  of  an 
inch  in  length,  its  body  is  orange,  and  its  wings  transpar- 
ent. This  gnat  lays  the  eggs  for  another  brood  of  mag- 
gots. The  egg  of  this  insect  is  unknown  to  me,  the 
insect  being  so  small,  that  the  egg  must  be  quite  minute. 

The  maggot  only  works  among  the  minute  tender 
leaves  at  the  end. of  the  young  shoots.  They  have  no 
jaws,  and  "  must  suck  in  the  sap  and  moisture  through 
the  mouth,  or  absorb  it  through  the  skin.  They  make  no 
excrement." 

This  insect  first  came  under  my  observation  in  June, 
1866,  at  Sandwich.  It  was  very  abundant  at  that  place. 


INSECTS    INJURIOUS   TO    THE    CRANBERRY.  121 

This  year  I  went  over  the  same  bogs,  and  found  it  scarce. 
It  seems 'to  be  widely  distributed  over  the  Cape,  as  I  have 
not  failed  to  find  it  on  every  bog  I  have  visited. 

There  is  a  little  Chalcis  fly  that  is  a  parasite  upon  this 
insect,  and  destroys  large  numbers.  It  is  doing  far  more 
than  man  can  to  keep  this  insect  under. 

I  did  not  find  this  maggot  numerous  anywhere  during 
the  early  part  of  the  summer.  On  the  23d  of  this  month 
I  went  over  the  bog  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Hinckley,  of  Mars- 
ton's  Mills,  and  found  traces  of  the  insect  everywhere  ;  it 
was  too  late  to  find  the  insects  themselves,  but  in  some 
places  you  could  scarcely  find  a  shoot  but  had  been 
checked  by  the  maggots. 

The  effect  of  the  occupation  of  this  maggot  of  the  tip 
of  the  shoot  can  be  readily  seen.  The  minute  leaves  and 
tender  tip  are  killed,  and  the  growth  is  stopped.  If  the 
shoot  is  strong,  it  may  put  out  a  shoot  at  the  side,  and 
this  may,  in  turn,  be  checked. 

I  have  seen  a  shoot  start  the  third  time,  although,  most 
frequently,  they  do  not  grow  more,  but  form  buds,  from 
which  start  side  shoots  next  year. 

Mr.  Hinckley  and  myself  searched  in  vain  for  a  side 
shoot  with  fruit  on  it.  I  have  seen  them  with  fruit,  but 
rarely. 

In  June,  I  tried  to  drown  some  of  these  maggots,  and 
MS  they  moved  after  remaining  under  water  fourteen  days, 
I  gave  it  up.  Later  in  the  season,  I  met  with  Mr.  Calvin 
Crowell,  of  West  Sandwich,  who  informed  me  that  he 
had  saved  some  of  his  vines  by  flowing ;  that  after  his 
bog  had  been  flowed,  he  noticed  that  some  of  the  shoots 
came  right  up  between  the  leaves  that  were  misshaped, 
proving  that  something  had  removed  the  insect.  The 
only  way  that  I  could  account  for  it  was  that  the  water 
might  have  washed  out  the  maggots,  and,  they  being 
without  legs,  could  not  get  back  to  the  end  of  the  shoot. 
Since  then,  I  have  seen  some  things  that  led  me  to  think 
6 


122  CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

that  such  was  the  case.  On  Mr.  Hinckley's  bog  I  noticed 
numbers  of  these  shoots  that  plainly  showed  that  the  in- 
sect had  commenced  its  work,  but  had  been  removed,  as 
the  shoot  kept  right  on.  On  inquiring,  I  found  that  Mr. 
Hinckley  had  flowed  his  bog  on  the  26th  of  June.  This 
was,  I  think,  rather  late  to  hit  most  of  them,  but  it  proba- 
bly washed  out  some. 

After  the  insect  has  spun  its  cocoon,  it  is  impossible 
either  to  wash  it  out  or  to  drown  it.  Recently,.!  placed  a 
shoot  in  water  that  contained  two  of  these  maggots  ;  they 
were  all  I  could  find  to  experiment  with.  One  of  the 
two  washed  out,  the  other  remained. 

Probably  flowing  would  prove  more  effectual  when  the 
maggots  are  quite  small,  as  the  leaves  do  not  close  to- 
gether very  tightly  until  the  maggot  is  nearly  full  grown. 
I  hope  it  will  be  seldom  that  the  bogs  have  such  a  visita- 
tion as  the  bog  of  Mr.  Hinckley  received.  If  any  of  the 
members  of  the  Association  wish  to  see  what  the  insects 
can  do  when  numerous,  they  had  better  visit  this  bog. 
Had  I  known  that  they  were  so  numerous  there  during 
the  early  part  of  the  summer,  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
have  been  upon  the  ground,  to  see  what  results  would 
follow  flowing  when  the  maggots  first  commenced  their 
work.  It  would  be  a  good  plan  to  flow  when  the  parent 
gnat  is  out.  Some  might  be  bred  in  the  house,  and  then 
one  would  know  exactly  when  they  were  out.  It  is  usually 
some  time  about  the  4th  of  July  that  the  gnat  comes  forth. 

This  first  brood  is  the  most  numerous,  although  there 
are  other  broods  as  long  as  there  are  growing  runners.  I 
found  a  few  of  these  maggots  in  September,  1868. 

I  am  not  aware  that  this  insect  has  ever  been  described 
by  scientific  men.  I  have,  at  different  seasons,  sent  them 
to  some  of  my  scientific  correspondents,  but  I  cannot 
learn  that  they  have  published  any  description  of  it. 

It  is  a  true  Cecidomyia,  closely  related  to  the  minute 
Hessian-fly,  that  is  so  destructive  at  times  to  wheat. 


INSECTS    INJURIOUS    TO    THE    CKANBEBEY.  123 

I  have  searched  many  works  relating  to  the  Hessian- 
and  Wheat-flies,  hoping  that  some  of  the  remedies  that 
were  used  against  those  insects  would  answer  for  our  gall 
gnat.  Strips  of  woolen  cloth,  dipped  in  melted  brimstone, 
and  fastened  to  sticks  in  different  parts  of  the  field,  and 
particularly  on  the  windward  side,  are  set  on  fire  for  sev- 
eral evenings  in  succession,  at  the  time  the  gnats  are  de- 
positing their  eggs.  This  has  been  efficient  in  the  case 
of  the  Wheat-fly,  and,  if  thoroughly  tested,  it  might  do 
good  in  the  case  of  some  of  onr  insects. 

The  minute  Chalcis  flies  that  sting  the  maggot,  and 
deposit  their  eggs  within  it  (which  hatch,  and  then  we 
have  a  maggot  within  a  maggot,  the  inside  one  having 
the  advantage,  and  killing  its  host),  are  doing  a  great 
work ;  and  the  Ichneumons,  that  work  in  the  same  way 
upon  the  fruit  and  vine  worms,  are  doing  much  to  pre- 
vent their  increase.  I  have  seen  large  numbers  of  dead 
vine  worms  tbis  season  destroyed  by  these  parasites. 

In  closing  my  report,  I  wish  to  thank  the  members  of 
the  Association,  and  the  cranberry  growers  generally,  for 
the  aid  which  they  have  given  me,  and  for  kindnesses 
which  they  have  shown  me  at  all  times,  during  the  three 
months  that  I  have  been  engaged  in  these  investigations ; 
and  if  my  report  will  induce  the  growers  to  study  the 
habits  of  these  insects  themselves,  and  become  acquainted 
with  them,  in  a  word,  to  become  their  own  entomologists, 
I  shall  feel  that  the  time  which  I  have  spent  in  the  study 
of  these  insects  has  not  been  in  vain. 


CONTRACTS    TAKEN. 

COUNSEL    GIVEN. 

CRANBERRY  MEADOWS  AND  VINES  FOR  SALE. 

After  several  years'  practical  experience  in  the  cranberry 
business,  during  which  we  have  planted  thirty-three  acres 
of  our  own,  taken  charge  of  others,  and  closely  observed 
the  proceedings  of  many  of  the  most  successful  cultiva- 
tors in  South  Jersey,  we  are  ready  to  contract  for  prepar- 
ing and  planting  cranberry  meadows  in  Burlington 
County,  and  to  give  professional  advice,  to  those  at  a  dis- 
tance, as  to  the  adaptability  of  soils  for  cranberries,  after 
examining  samples  of  the  same,  accompanied  by  an  ac- 
curate and  detailed  description  of  the  location  and  its  sur- 
roundings. 

We  have  for  sale  about  eighteen  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Burlington  County,  seventy  acres  of  which  are  now 
planted  in  cranberry  vines,  most  of  them  in  tearing  con- 
dition, and  doing  admirably.  A  large  portion  of  the 
balance  is  well  adapted  to  cranberries,  and  the  remainder 
is  similar  to  the  oft  described  Vin eland  tract. 

Also,  first-class  cranberry  vine's,  in  large  or  small  quan- 
tities, at  low  rates. 

For  further  particulars,  address 

JOSEPH  J.  WHITE, 
JuliUBlown,  Burlington    Co.,  JV.  J. 


124 


INDEX. 


Alluvial  formation 25 

American  Cranberry 7 

Amphicarpum  Purshii. .   58 

Analysis  of  Cranberry 10 

Appendix 113 

Arctostaphylos  Uva-Ursi 18 

Ashes 63 

Bear-berry 18 

Bell  Cranberry 12 

Bill-hook 36 

Bishop,  N.  H 30 

Build's,  Theodore,  Letter Ill 

Bugle  Cranberry 12 

Canned  Cranberries 95 

Cassandra  calyculata 30 

Cherry  Cranberry _ 12 

Choice  of  Locations . .  25 

Clean  Surfaces  necessary 48 

Color  of  Cranberries 14 

Covering  by  Sand 56 

Cranberry.  American 7 

"          Analysis  of. 10 

Bell 12 

14          Bugle 12 

"          Cherry 12 

High 18 

High-bush... 18 

Hog 18 

Jelly 94 

"         Large 7 

44         Mountain 18 

On  Upland 17 

u         Sauce 04 

Small 7 

"          Spice .-..  8 

u         Varieties  of 12 

Cuttings,  Sowing 56 

Dams 65-67 

Double-seeded  Millet 58 

Drift  Formation 27 

125 


Drainage 58 

Drains 38 

Embankments 70 

Enemies  and  Difficulties  overcome.  71 

Excessive  Heat 82 

Exporting 95 

Fan,  Cranberry 93 

"    Portable 86 

Feather-leaf 30 

Fences 45 

Fen  wick,  Jas.  A 73-74 

Fertilizers '. . . .  62 

Fires 45 

Fish's,  W.  C.,  Report 113 

Flood-gates 69 

Flooding 64 

Fork  for  Fence  Making 46 

Frosts 80 

Gander-bush 30 

Grass 83 

Ground  Laurel 30 

Grouse  Berry 18 

Gum-tree 30 

Hall,  Capt.  Henry 21 

Heath  Ponds 29 

"  Preparing : .     41 

High-bush  Cranberry 18 

High  Cranberry 18 

Hill  Planting 51 

History  of  Cultivation 19 

Hog  Cranberry 18 

Horsford's,  Prof.  E.  N.,  Analysis. . .  10 

Hunt,  J.  Gibbons 60 

Insects •  •  71 

"      Anchylopera  vacciniana 75 

"      Black  Span- Worm 118 

"      Cecidomyia 110 

44      Crickets 70 

"      Fruit- Worm ....71-116 

44      Gall-Gnat 119 


126 


CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 


Insects,  Grasshoppers 79 

"•      Span-worm 84 

"      Tip-worm 83 

"      Vine-worm 74-113 

Kalmia  augustifolia 30 

Keeping 91 

Laurel,  Ground 30 

Large  Cranberry 7 

Leather-leaf 30 

Letters  from  Practical  Growers 100 

Levelling 66 

Lime 63 

Locations,  Choice  of 25 

Makepeace's,  A.  D.,  Letter 101 

Management  of  Meadows 57 

Marl 63 

Meadows,  Management  of 57 

Mice 80 

Mill-ponds 33 

"         Preparing 48 

Moss 83 

Mountain  Cranberry 18 

Muck 26 

Mud  as  a  Fertilizer 63 

Muskrats 80 

Natural  Bogs,  Improvement  of. 61 

Natural  History 7 

Nyssa  multiflora 30 

Otis',  Amos,  Letter 102 

Packard,  A.  S 75 

Peck  Box 86 

Peruvian  Guano 63 

Phinney,  S.  B 21-27 

Picking 85 

Pines  of  New  Jersey 45 

Planting  by  Pressure 54 

"       in  Drills 52 

"       in  Strips 48 

V       Hill 51 

Sod 51 

"       the  Vines 50 

Pointsett,  John 40 

Polytrichum  commune 44 


Position  of  Vines < , . .  53 

Preparing  the  Ground 35 

Preserved  Cranberries 95 

Profit  and  Loss 06 

Rushes 83 

Sacketts',  S.  A.,  Letter 100 

Sanding 89 

Sand,  Test  for 28 

Savannas 32 

Scalding -. 82 

Scalping 36 

Seed  Sowing 57 

Shinn  &  Allston 56 

Shreve's,  S.  H.,  Letter.. 107 

Small  Cranberry 7 

Small's,  Zebina  H.,  Letter 102 

Sod  Planting 51 

Sphagnum  Moss 43 

Spice  Cranberry 8 

Stable  Manure 63 

Swamp  Lands 30 

Swamps,  Preparing 36 

Tickets 88 

Tree  Moss 44 

Trenching  for  Sand 42 

True  Cape  Cod  Variety 17 

Turf  Cutter 44 

Turf  Fence 45 

Turfing 36 

Unfruitful  Vines 15 

"  Upland  "  Cranberries 17 

Upland  Cranberry 18 

Uplands 34 

Uva-Ursi 18 

Vaccinium  macrocarpon 7 

"          Oxycoccus 7 

"         Vitis-Idsea 18 

Viburnum  Opulus 18 

Want  of  Money 84 

Webb,  John 22 

Weeding 58 

White's,  Barclay,  Letter 105 

Willow  Farm 78 


PEACH  CULTURE. 

BY 

JAMES    ALEXANDER,    FULTON, 

DOVER,   DELAWARE. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


WITHIN  the  last  few  years,  fruit  culture,  in  all  its  varieties,  has  greatly  in- 
creased in  this  country;  so  that,  to-day,  it  is  one  of  the  leading  interests. 
Among  the  fruits,  the  PEACH,  if  not  the  most,  is  one  of  the  most  important  of 
all.  It  is  so  easily  raised,  comes  into  bearing  so  soon,  and  is  so  delicious,  as. 
well  as  beautiful,  it  is  impossible  that  it  should  not  be  a  favorite.  The  conse- 
quence is  that,  in  the  sections  specially  conducive  to  its  cultivation,  almost 
every  farm  has  an  orchard,  and  some  farms  are  but  one  continuous  orchard ; 
and  sometimes  farm  after  farm  is  devoted  to  Peaches.  Some  planters  have  set 
as  many  as  twenty  thousand  trees  in  a  single  season.  Orchards  of  twenty, 
thirty,  and  fifty  acres  are  not  at  all  infrequent.  Living  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
peach-growing  district ;  sharing  the  common  interest  felt  in  the  subject ;  deeply 
impressed  with  its  importance  to  the  individual  planters  themselves,  and  also 
to  the  community  at  large ;  and  believing  that  a  lasting  benefit  could  be  done 
to  both,  the  author  has  been  induced  to  prepare,  and  now  offers  to  the  public, 
this  work  on  Peach  Culture. 

CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

CHAPTER  I. — Site  of  Nursery. 

CHAPTER  II.— Seed. 

CHAPTER  III.— Seed-bed. 

CHAPTER  IV.—  Preparation  of  Ground 
for  Nursery. 

CHAPTER  V.— Planting  the  Seed. 

CHAPTER  VI. — Nursery  Cultivation. 

CHAPTER  VII.— Buds. 

CHAPTER  VIII.— Budding. 

CHAPTER  IX.— Cultivation  of  Buds. 

CHAPTER  X.— Taking  Up  and  Send- 
ing to  Market. 

CHAPTER  XI.— Selecting  a  Site  for  an 
Orchard. 

CHAPTER  XII. — Planting  an  Orchard. 

CHAPTER  XIII.— Orchard  Cultivation. 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Coming  In. 


CHAPTER  XV.— Baskets  and  Crates. 
CHAPTER  XVI.— Transportation. 
CHAPTER  XVII. — Consignees. 
CHAPTER  XVIII.— Ladders. 
CHAPTER  XIX.— Shipping. 
CHAPTER  XX.— Picking. 
CHAPTER  XXL— Returns. 
CHAPTER  XXII.— Markets. 
CHAPTER  XXIII.— Profit. 
CHAPTER  XXIV.— Culture  after  a  Crop 
CHAPTER  XXV.— Uses.  [eases. 

CHAPTER  XXVI.— Insects  and  Dis- 
CHAPTER  XX VII.— Special  Culture. 
CHAPTER  XXVIIL— ThePeach-House 
CHAPTER  XXIX.— Varieties,     [logue. 
CHAPTER  XXX.— Descriptive  Cata- 
CHAPTER  XXXI.— Fancy  Varieties. 


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THE 

SMALL    FKUIT    CTJLTURI8T. 

BY 

ANDREW  S.  FULLER. 
^Beautifully   Illustrated. 

We  have  heretofore  had  no  work  especially  devoted  to  small 
Bruits,  and  certainly  no  treatises  anywhere  that  give  the  information 
contained  in  this.  It  is  to  the  advantage  of  special  works  that  the 
author  can  say  all  that  he  has  to  say  on  any  subject,  and  not  be 
restricted  as  to  space,  as  he  must  be  in  those  works  that  cover  the 
culture  of  all  fruits  —  great  and  small. 

This  book  covers  the  whole  ground  of  Propagating  Small  Fruits, 
their  Culiure,  Varieties,  Packing  for  Market,  etc.  While  very  full  on 
the  other  fruits,  the  Currants  and  Raspberries  have  been  more  care- 
fully elaborated  than  ever  before,  and  in  this  important  part  of  his 
book,  the  author  has  had  the  invaluable  counsel  of  Charles  Downing. 
The  chapter  on  gathering  and  packing  the  fruit  is  a  valuable  one, 
and  in  it  are  figured  all  the  baskets  and  boxes  now  in  common  use. 
The  book  is  very  finely  and  thoroughly  illustrated,  and  makes  an 
admirable  companion  to  the  Grape  Culturist,  by  the  same  anthor. 


CHAP.  I.  BARBERRY.  CHAP.  VII.  GOOSEBERRY. 

CHAP.  II.  STRAWBERRY.  CHAP.  VIII.  CORNELIAN  CHERRY. 

CHAP.  III.  RASPBERRY.  CHAP.  IX.  CRANBERRY. 

CHAP.  IV.  BLACKBERRY.  CHAP.   X.  HUCKLEBERRY. 

CHAP.  V.  DWARF  CHERRY.  CHAP.  XL  SHEPERDIA. 

CHAP.  VL  CURRANT.  CHAP.  XII.  PREPARATION  FOB 

GATHERING  FBUIT. 

Sent  post-paid.    Price  $1.50. 
ORANGE    JTJDD    &    CO.,    245    Broadway,    New-  York 


AMERICAN     POMOLOGY 
APPLES. 


ISy    Doct.  JOHN    A.. 

pR3Sii»BNF  OHIO  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY;  VICE-PKESIDENT  AMERICAN 

SOCIETT. 

393    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

This  volume  has  about  750  pages,  the  first  375  of  which  are  de 
Foted  to  the  discussion  of  the  general  subjects  of  propagation,  tiur. 
sery  culture,  selection  and  planting,  cultivation  of  orchards,  care  of 
fruit,  insects,  and  the  like ;  the  remainder  is  occupied  with  descrip- 
tions of  apples.  With  the  richness  of  material  at  hand,  the  trouble 
was  to  decide  what  to  leave  out.  It  will  be  found  that  while  the 
old  and  standard  varieties  are  not  neglected,  the  new  and  promising 
sorts,  especially  those  of  the  South  and  "West,  have  prominence. 
A  list  of  selections  for  different  localities  by  eminent  orchardists  is 
a  valuable  portion  of  the  volume,  while  the  Analytical  Index  or 
Catalogue  Raisonnt,  as  the  French  would  say,  is  the  most  extended 
American  fruit  list  ever  published,  and  gives  evidence  of  a  "fearful 
amount  of  labor. 

CONTENTS, 

Chapter  I.— INTRODUCTORY. 

Chapter         II.— HISTORY   OF   THE   APPLE. 

Chapter       III.— PROPAGATION. 

Buds  and  Cuttings— Grafting— Budding— The  Nursery. 

Chapter       IV.— DWARFING. 

Chapter         V.— DISEASES. 

Chapter       VI— THE    SITE    FOR    AN    ORCHARD. 

Chapter     VII.— PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  FOR  AN  ORCHARD 

Chapter   VIII.— SELECTION  AND   PLANTING. 

Chapter        IX.— CULTURE,  Etc. 

Chapter         X.— PHILOSOPHY   OF   PRUNING. 

Chapter       XI.— THINNING. 

Chapter     XII.— RIPENING   AND   PRESERVING   FRUITS. 

Chapter  XIII  and  XTV.— INSECTS. 

Chapter     XV.— CHARACTERS      OF       FRUITS      AND      THEIR 
VALUE— TERMS   USED. 

Chapter   XVI.— CLASSIFICATION. 

Necessity  for— Basis  of— Characters— Shape— Its  Regu- 
larity—Flavor— Color— Their  several  Values,  etc.  Do- 
scription  of  Apples. 

Chapter  XVII.— FRUIT  LISTS  — CATALOGUE   AND  INDEX  OF 
FRUITS. 

Sent  Post-Paid.  Price  $3,00, 

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THE 


ANDEEW  S.  FULLER. 


NEW     AND     ENLARGED     EDITION. 


THE    STANDARD    WORK 

ON    THE    CULTIVATION    OF    THE    HARDY    GRAPE 

AS   IT   NOT    ONLY   DISCUSSES   PRINCIPLES, 

BUT 

ILLUSTRATES    PRACTICE. 

HSvery  tiling    is  made   perfectly  plain,  and.   Its   teach- 
ings   may    "be   followed    upon 

ONE    VINE     ORt    A    VINEYARD 


The  following  are  some  of  the  topics  that  are  treated j 

GROWING  NEW  VARIETIES  FROM  SEED. 

PROPAGATION  BY  SINGLE  BUDS  OR  EYES. 

PROPAGATING  HOUSES  AND  THEIR  MANAGEMENT  FULLY  DESCRIBED. 

How  TO  GROW 

CUTTINGS  IN  OPEN  AIR,  AND  HOW  TO  MAKE  LAYERS. 

GRAFTING  THE  GRAPE — A  SIMPLE  AND  SUCCESSFUL  METHOD. 

HYBRIDIZING  AND  CROSSING — MODE  OF  OPERATION. 

SOIL  AND  SITUATION — PLANTING  AND  CULTIVATION. 

PRUNING,  TRAINING,  AND  TRELLISES — ALL  THE  SYSTEMS  EZPLAIVBX 

GARDEN  CULTURE — How  TO  GROW  VINES  IN  A  DOOR- YARD. 

IJTBBCTS,  MILDEW,  SUN-SCALD,  AND  OTHER  TROUBLES. 

BlSCRIPTION  OF  THE  VALUABLE  AND  THE  DISCARDED  VARII 


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GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT 

In  the  Market  and  .Family  G-arden. 
BY  PETER  HENDEKSON. 


This  is  the  first  work  on  Market  Gardening  ever  published  in  this 
country.  Its  author  is  well  known  as  a  market  gardener  of  twenty 
years'  successful  experience.  In  this  work  he  has  recorded  this 
experience,  and  given,  without  reservation,  the  methods  necessary 
to  the  profitable  culture  of  the  commercial  or 


It  is  a  work  for  which  there  has  long  been  a  demand,  and  one 
which  will  commend  itself,  not  only  to  those  who  grow  vegetables 
for  sale,  but  to  the  cultivator  of  the 

FAMILY  GARDEN, 

to  whom  it  presents  methods  quite  different  from  the  old  ones  gen 
erally  practiced.  It  is  an  ORIGINAL  AND  PURELY  AMERICAN  work,  and 
not  made  up,  as  books  on  gardening  too  often  are,  by  quotations 
from  foreign  authors. 

Every  thing  is  made  perfectly  plain,  and  the  subject  treated  in  all 
its  details,  from  the  selection  of  the  soil  to  preparing  the  products 
for  market. 

CONTENTS. 

Men  fitted  for  the  Business  of  Gardening. 

The  Amount  of  Capital  Required,  and 

"Working  Force  per  Acre. 

Profits  of  Market  Gardening. 

Location,  Situation,  and  Laying  Out. 

Soils,  Drainage,  end  Preparation. 

Manures,  Implements. 

Uses  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames. 

Formation  and  Management  of  Hot-beds. 

Forcing  Pits  or  Green-houses. 

Seeds  and  Seed  Raising. 

How,  When,  and  Where  to  Sow  Seedo. 

Transplanting,  Insects. 

Packing  of  Vegetables  for  Shipping. 

Preservation  of  Vegetables  in  Winter. 

Vegetables,  their  Varieties  and  Cultivation. 

In  the  last  chapter,  the  most  valuable  kinds  are  described,  and 
the  culture  proper  to  each  is  given  in  detail. 

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PRACTICAL  FLORICULTD 


A  GUIDE  TO  THE 

SUCCESSFUL  PROPAGATION  AND  CULTIVATION  OF 

Florists'  Plants. 

BY  PETER  HENDERSON,  BERGEN  CITY,  N.  J. 


Mr.  HENDEKSON  is  known  as  the  largest  Commercial  Florist  in 
the  country.  In  the  present  work  he  gives  a  full  account  of  liip 
modes  of  propagation  and  cultivation.  It  is  adapted  to  the  wants 
of  the  amateur  as  well  as  the  professional  grower. 

The  scope  of  the  work  may  be  judged  from  the  following 

TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


Aspect  and  Soil. 

Laying  out  Lawn  and  Flower  Garden. 

Designs  for  Flower  Gardens. 

Planting  of  Flower  Beds. 

Soils  for  Potting. 

Temperature  and  Moisture. 

The  Potting  of  Plants. 

Cold  Frames— Winter  Protection. 

Construction  of  Hot-Beds. 

Greennouse  Structures. 

Modes  of  Heating. 

Propagation  by  Seeds. 

Propagation  by  Cuttings. 

Propagation  of  Lilies. 

Culture  of  the  Rose. 

Culture  of  the  Verbena. 

Culture  of  the  Tuberose. 

Diary  of  Operations  for 


Orchid  Culture. 
Holland  Bulbs. 
Cape  Bulbs. 

Winter-Flowering  Plants 
Construction  of  Bouquets, 
Hanging  Baskets. 
Window  Gardening. 
Rock-Work. 
Insects. 

Nature's  Law  of  Colors. 
Packing  Plants. 
Plants  by  Mail. 
Profits  of  Floriculture. 
Soft-Wooded  Plants. 
Greenhouse  Plants. 
Annuals. 

Hardy  Herbaceous  Plants, 
each  Day  of  the  Year. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


Sl-SO 

ORANGE  JUDD  &  COMPANY, 

245  BROADWAY,  New-York 


C,  Cranberry  Farjmng,  ' 

cranberry, 
which  has  been  going  on  in  New  Jersey 
I  and  in  Connectiout  for  some  years,  is 
extending  to  some  of  the  Western 
States,  Within  a  few  years  several 
attempts  in  different  parts  of  Michigan, 
Indiana  and  Wisconsin  have  been  made 
in  a  small  way  to  cultivate  this  popular 
fruit,  but  Wb  believe  they  have  been 
attended  with  in^Ga^ni  ""CWQHJOO 
provements  are  valued  at  6ver¥259^ 
Topickthecrop  this  season  willrequne 

To  the  cultivator  the  berry 


50  hands. 

8  a  paying  investment,  as  it  costs  but 

ttle  to  raise,  and    in    return  yie  ds 
annually   on  tl 
market 


lands, 


Irshes,  the  attention  of  Eastern  oap, 
talists  who  are  interested  in  the  culture 
85S  berry  has  been  drawn  to  the  pea 
of  that  State.         e  officers  o 


Ji Srles^Mrianoe^perintendent  at 

\  the  marsh. 

Tu   Wisconsin   the    cranberry    crop 
represents  an  important  industry,  and 
Ifc  promises  to  assume  still   greater  i m- 
Irtance  there  in  the  future.    Messrs. 
Trait  &  Miner   will  make  a  report  of 
•-their  visit  to  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
-IcuUure  and  it  is  intended   to  offer  . 
Hpremium  at  the  Wisconsin  State  Fair 
;0fot  the  best  epecimens  of  frmt.- 
}n\rje  Farmer. 

aowureH  'N  'UCH  <>W  oaopq  aiigddn  pu«  aq  aoiqop 

,,«<L-  \r>  oimma.in  fill!    t!^    1T1U1    D9JOIUO  .lOUljm    StlT         M 


